Russian Stowaway Slips Onto Delta Flight at JFK in Bizarre Security Breach

There’s a new entry in the airport security hall of fame, and it’s got a Russian twist. Newly released video footage reveals how 57-year-old Svetlana Dali, a Russian national and legal US resident, managed to sneak onto a Delta flight from New York’s JFK to Paris last year—no boarding pass, no ticket, just a whole lot of nerve.

The video shows Dali first getting screened by TSA in a brown sweater. Fast forward, and she’s now in a gray hoodie, black jacket, and sporting a hefty backpack, slickly blending in with a group of passengers as they board the plane. She slips past two gate agents, who, let’s be real, might need a refresher course on ‘spot the stowaway’ after this one.

Dali’s journey started with a rejection at a security checkpoint for not having a boarding pass. Not one to take no for an answer, she allegedly ducked into a special airline employee lane, hiding in plain sight among the Air Europa flight crew. She then made it through another round of bag checks and pat-downs, basically running airport security like her own personal escape room.

Once airborne, Delta crew members realized there was an unexpected guest on board and alerted French authorities. Dali was detained in Paris before she could even get her passport stamped, and soon sent back to New York. According to court records, she admitted to sneaking on because she wanted to avoid buying a ticket. If only we could all expense international adventures that easily.

After her first arrest, Dali was released with an ankle monitor—only to cut it off and get caught again trying to cross into Canada from Buffalo. Now, she’s cooling her heels in a federal lockup in Brooklyn, awaiting trial. She’s pleaded not guilty to the stowaway charge, though prosecutors and her lawyer are reportedly working on a plea deal.

Her trial is expected to kick off next month. Stay tuned for what’s next in this real-life airport caper.