Delta Air Lines Investigates Security Breach After Stowaway Found Mid-Flight

An unregistered passenger managed to board a flight operated by Delta Air Lines at New York’s JFK Airport, bound for Paris, France, and was not detected by the crew until the plane was nearly landing after a seven-hour flight. The incident was initially reported by aviation insider Jon NYC on social media.

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— JonNYC (@xjonnyc.bsky.social) 2024-11-27T18:27:47.676Z

Delta Air Lines flight DL264 took off shortly before 11:00 PM on Tuesday and landed at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport around 11:00 AM on Wednesday. Upon arrival, passengers were instructed to remain in their seats while police were called to handle the stowaway situation, according to a report from our associated outlet, AEROIN.

In a recording made by one of the passengers, the flight’s captain informs via the public announcement system that everyone must remain seated «until we resolve the situation of the extra passenger on board.»

Although the stowaway has not yet been identified, it is believed to be a woman who managed to avoid detection by hiding in one of the plane’s lavatories. According to a source cited by Jon NYC, the crew began to suspect when the passenger spent an extended time in the bathroom, exiting only to move to another one.

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A spokesperson for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) confirmed that an individual managed to pass through security screening at JFK Airport without a boarding pass, bypassing detection at two identity verification checkpoints before boarding the flight.

“The TSA can confirm that an individual without a boarding pass successfully completed the airport security screening process without carrying prohibited items,” the TSA statement said. “The individual bypassed two identity and boarding status verification stations and managed to board the plane,” it added. Police are now investigating the case.

When consulted by PYOK, Delta stated that “nothing is more important than safety. That is why Delta is conducting a thorough investigation into what may have occurred and will work in collaboration with other aviation stakeholders and authorities to this end.”

This is not the first incident involving a stowaway on Delta flights. In March, a 26-year-old man managed to board a flight without a ticket in Salt Lake City after photographing a boarding pass belonging to a child and using the barcode to scan himself through the gate.