Stowaway Trial Begins After Woman Sneaks Onto Paris Flight

A Brooklyn federal court is hearing the case of Svetlana Dali, a 57-year-old woman accused of boarding a Delta Air Lines flight from New York JFK to Paris without a ticket or passport. Her trial, which began Tuesday and is expected to conclude quickly, centers on a bizarre incident from November 26, 2024.

Prosecutors say Dali bypassed multiple security checkpoints at JFK Airport just two days before Thanksgiving and slipped onto the packed flight, hiding in the lavatory for most of the transatlantic journey. Video evidence shows her maneuvering through employee lines and dodging TSA and facial scanners.

Flight attendant Cleomie Meme testified that she found Dali in a locked bathroom about an hour into the flight. Dali claimed to be sick, then offered two fake names and an Amtrak ticket when questioned. She was seated in the crew’s jump seat and arrested upon landing in Paris.

In court, Dali was described as defiant, even asking to cross-examine witnesses herself. She declined a plea deal that could have meant time served and now faces up to five years in prison for knowingly stowing away.

Dali’s attorney, Michael Schneider, argued that airport security failed at multiple points and questioned the conditions under which she confessed to FBI agents. Dali had previously entered secure zones at Hartford and Miami airports in unrelated incidents.

She was briefly released but later re-arrested after cutting off her ankle monitor and attempting to flee to Canada. The case highlights serious gaps in airport security protocols.

Related News: https://airguide.info/category/air-travel-business/travel-health-security/

Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, bing.com, courthousenews.com