December 1st 2024.
A woman made headlines this week after she snuck onto a Delta Air Lines flight from New York to Paris as a stowaway. However, her journey did not end there as she caused a disturbance on the flight back to the US, resulting in her being detained in France. According to law enforcement sources, the woman was removed from the return flight before it took off on Saturday, and her trip back home has yet to be rescheduled.
Before her stowaway adventure, the woman had been waiting in a designated area at Charles de Gaulle Airport for people being deported, as she did not meet the requirements for entering Europe. It's still unclear how she managed to bypass multiple security checkpoints at JFK International Airport and board the plane to Paris, allegedly hiding in the bathrooms during the flight.
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) revealed that the stowaway did not have a boarding pass, but still went through a security screening and managed to get past two identity verification and boarding status stations. This incident took place on one of the busiest travel days of the year, with almost 2.7 million passengers flying on that day alone, according to TSA data. Fortunately, the TSA spokesperson confirmed that the stowaway was not carrying any prohibited items.
Delta Air Lines released a statement saying that they are cooperating with law enforcement and conducting their own investigation into the matter. The safety and security of their passengers is their top priority, and they are determined to get to the bottom of what happened. CNN has reached out to other agencies such as the FBI and Customs and Border Protection for more information.
According to an airport official in Paris, the stowaway is a woman aged between 55 and 60, and holds a Russian passport. When she is sent back to the US, she may face a civil penalty from the TSA and could potentially be arrested by New York authorities, although they are not currently involved in the investigation. The TSA is also conducting their own investigation into the incident, as confirmed by a federal official familiar with the matter.
A passenger on the Delta flight, New York City real estate broker Rob Jackson, shared his experience with CNN, stating that they were told to remain seated after landing so that police could board the plane. He did not personally see the stowaway, but was informed that she had been hiding in a lavatory at the back of the aircraft since their departure from JFK. The first announcement about the situation was made when they arrived at the gate and were told to stay put while French police dealt with a serious security issue.
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