Woman Boards Flight Without a Ticket on One, Causes Ruckus on the Other

A 56-year-old woman who snuck onto a Delta Airlines flight without a boarding pass on November 25 was kicked off of her return flight only five days later. She currently remains in custody in Paris, France.

The passenger, reportedly a 56-year-old Russian female living in Philadelphia on a green card, made her way to JFK Airport on November 25. She somehow managed to pass through a physical screening plus “two identity verification and boarding status stations,” a TSA spokesperson stated, without being questioned. The woman snuck onto a Delta Airlines B767-400ER heading to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport.

The flight was not full, and she was only discovered when a flight attendant picked up on her frequent trips to various bathrooms. Another passenger on the flight, Rob Jackson, could tell something was up.

"I heard them saying, like, we have a passenger who we think was hiding in the lavatory during takeoff," Jackson said. "She does not have a seat. She did not have a boarding pass. And basically, she's a stowaway."

Once the plane landed, French authorities came on board and took the stowaway into custody. On November 30, more French officers ushered the woman through the airport for her flight back to JFK. 

The passenger was being disruptive after boarding, leading to the police being called to remove her. This led to the flight being delayed by more than two hours. She remains in French custody until further notice.

US federal authorities have no plans to press charges, though she may face state prosecution or fines in New York. French officials and TSA are both investigating the case, hopefully focusing on how she got through ID checks and onto the aircraft without ever presenting a valid boarding pass.

FMI: www.tsa.gov