Delta Air Lines flight on Christmas Eve catches passenger without a ticket

Another unticketed individual was caught on a Delta Air Lines flight headed to Hawaii on Christmas Eve, just a month after a woman was apprehended stowing away on a flight to France.

According to the airline, a stowaway was recently caught after attempting to board a flight from Seattle to Honolulu on December 24th.

Delta flight 487 had to return to the gate just as it was about to take off because the crew discovered that there was an unauthorized person on board. The airline has not disclosed the identity of the individual.

Delta stated in a statement to ABC News that the safety and security of their passengers are of utmost importance. Therefore, their staff followed proper procedures to remove an unticketed passenger from the flight and subsequently apprehended them.

The airline reported that the flight experienced a delay of over two hours due to additional security checks and the need to rescreen all passengers by the TSA.

Law enforcement swiftly responded to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and apprehended the individual who was found to be without a ticket.

The stowaway was able to leave the plane after it returned to the gate, as confirmed by airport officials. With the assistance of video surveillance, the Port of Seattle Police was able to locate the stowaway in a terminal restroom.

According to authorities at Seattle Tacoma International Airport, the passenger was arrested for trespassing and subsequently booked into South Correctional Entity jail.

During their investigation, airport authorities discovered that the stowaway had managed to bypass a TSA security checkpoint the night before the flight without a boarding pass. However, the individual had still undergone the necessary screening procedures.

According to ABC News, the TSA also mentioned in a statement that the person in question had successfully undergone the regular screening process and did not have any prohibited items. However, they managed to bypass the identity verification and boarding status stations and were able to board the plane without a boarding pass.

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has stated that it considers any incidents that occur at its checkpoints across the country to be of utmost importance. In response to the incident that took place at the travel document checker station at Seattle/Tacoma International, the TSA has assured that it will conduct a thorough and independent review of the circumstances surrounding the incident.

The TSA is currently collaborating with the Port of Seattle Police regarding this incident.

Delta stated that they are currently conducting an investigation, and although it is still ongoing, initial findings indicate that the passenger managed to board the plane without presenting a boarding pass at the gate.

In November, a Russian national named Svetlana Dali was apprehended for stowing away on a Delta Air Lines flight from the United States to France. Recently, news has emerged of another stowaway incident involving Delta Air Lines.

Svetlana Dali, who was arrested for the second time this month on December 16, 2024, had her booking photo taken. According to law enforcement sources, she had cut off her ankle monitor and attempted to sneak into Canada on December 15, 2024 (ABC News).

The Niagara County Sheriff’s Office is responsible for maintaining law and order in the county.

Dali sneaked onto Delta Flight 264, which took off from John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York and was headed to Charles-de-Gaulle International Airport in Paris.

The French Interior Ministry stated that the individual was not allowed entry into French territory because she did not possess a valid travel document (visa). As a result, she was placed in the waiting area until arrangements could be made for her to return to the United States, as she had a valid US residence permit.

According to law enforcement sources, Dali was arrested for the second time on December 4th, just over a week after her initial arrest. She had cut off her ankle monitor and attempted to enter Canada discreetly.

Authorities were alerted when the person she was staying with in Philadelphia discovered the bracelet had been cut.

Dali was caught in Buffalo, New York, while he was on a Greyhound bus attempting to cross into Canada.

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