This week during the busy Thanksgiving air travel, a female stowaway managed to bypass the strict airport security system and board a Delta Airlines flight from New York’s JFK International Airport to Paris, France. She was not discovered until the flight was about to land in Paris.
According to various media reports, the woman was found on Delta Airlines Flight 264, which departed from JFK International Airport for Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport on Tuesday, November 26, at 11 p.m.
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) confirmed to the media that “an individual without a boarding pass passed through airport security without carrying any prohibited items. The person bypassed two identity verification and boarding status check stations before finally boarding.”
TSA stated on its official website that between November 26 (Tuesday) and December 2 (Monday), they will screen 18.3 million people, an increase of around 6% compared to the same period in 2023; passenger traffic has reached a historic high in 2024, growing by 17% since 2022. During the holiday period, the daily passenger volume is approximately 3 million people.
Unusual Behavior During Flight Raises Suspicion
In a video taken by a passenger, the pilot of the Delta Airlines flight can be heard announcing that the police have arrived and asking everyone to remain in their seats, “at the same time, we need to clear the extra passenger from the plane.”
The passenger who filmed the video said that this unusual passenger was not seated but frequently moving from one restroom to another, exhibiting strange behavior, which raised the suspicion of the flight attendants. The incident was reported before the plane landed.
Former commercial pilot JP Tristani told ABC News that he found the incident perplexing as it occurred on a transatlantic flight. “Even standby passengers must go through the boarding gate checks, and these flights are usually fully booked.” He criticized this as a significant lapse in the security screening process.
Past cases have shown people using screenshots of others’ boarding passes to sneak onto flights. However, it is currently unclear if the woman used a similar method. As she passed TSA screening, it indicates she possessed valid identification.
Federal law enforcement agencies are now investigating to determine how the incident unfolded.