Russian Stowaway Charged After Sneaking Onto NYC-Paris Flight

Svetlana Dali faces up to five years in prison after bypassing security at JFK Airport and boarding a Delta flight without a ticket.

Svetlana Dali, a 57-year-old Russian national and U.S. resident, evaded security at JFK Airport by blending in with an airline crew to access a staff lane.
She boarded Delta Flight 264 to Paris on November 26 without presenting a boarding pass, later hiding in the plane's lavatories to avoid detection.
Dali was detained upon landing in Paris, denied entry to France, and returned to the U.S. after two failed deportation attempts due to her disruptive behavior.
The Transportation Security Administration confirmed she underwent physical screening but bypassed identity verification, prompting an investigation into security lapses.
Dali admitted to knowingly evading security and boarding without a ticket, with Delta Airlines and TSA both reviewing procedural deviations in the incident.