December 4th 2024.
According to a Paris airport official who spoke with CNN, Delta Air Lines has made arrangements to transport the Russian woman who snuck onto a flight to Paris last week, back to New York on Wednesday. The initial plan was for the woman to depart from France on Tuesday at 2:30 pm, but she was unable to do so as Delta refused to fly her. This decision was made after the woman had already boarded the plane, according to the official.
New footage has emerged from a passenger on the same flight, showing a flight attendant questioning the woman about the name on her boarding pass. In response, the woman claims that it belongs to her friend. The attendant then asks where her friend currently is.
When CNN reached out for further details, Delta declined to comment on the situation or why the woman was not allowed to fly. However, the French official stated that they will be attempting to send her back to New York with a French escort. The woman is now scheduled to depart on a Delta flight accompanied by two French security officials on Wednesday at 2:30 pm.
Last week, the 57-year-old woman managed to bypass multiple security checkpoints at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport and board a plane to Paris. It is believed that she was able to do so by blending in with groups of travelers who were presenting multiple tickets and passports. This was likely made easier due to the large crowds at the airport during the holiday weekend.
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) reported that nearly 2.7 million passengers were screened at US airports on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. Authorities in the US are still investigating how the woman was able to sneak onto the flight without a ticket. She was originally scheduled to return to the US on Saturday but was removed from the plane by French authorities after causing a disturbance.
A passenger on the flight, Gary Treichler, told CNN that the woman was sitting across the aisle from him and his family and kept repeating that she did not want to go back to the USA. She stated that only a judge could make her return. The woman was expected to be accompanied by six US marshals on the flight back to New York.
The TSA is also preparing a civil case against the stowaway after reviewing security footage from JFK airport. According to TSA spokesperson Alexa Lopez, they will open civil cases against passengers if there is evidence of any security procedure violations. However, the TSA is not able to bring criminal charges but can refer them to the Justice Department.
During the Aviation Security Summit of the American Association of Airport Executives, TSA Administrator David Pekoske spoke about the small number of people who are able to skip the identity verification stage. He suggested that electronic gates could be a solution to ensure that everyone is properly screened.
Delta has not yet revealed how the woman was able to board the plane after passing through the TSA checkpoint. They stated that they are conducting a thorough investigation into the matter. Meanwhile, authorities are still unsure if any criminal charges will be filed against the woman. For the latest updates on this story and more, download the 9News app from the Apple App Store or Google Play.
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