ATLANTA- A woman convicted of stowaway on a Delta Air Lines (DL) flight from John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) has been sentenced to time served. However, she remains in custody due to new charges in Connecticut.
Svetlana Dali, a 57-year-old Russian green card holder, faces extradition for breaching security at Bradley International Airport (BDL) near Hartford, Connecticut, with potential felony charges carrying up to five years in prison.
Photo: Clément AlloingDelta Stowaway Paris Flight
On November 24, 2024, Svetlana Dali bypassed security at Bradley International Airport (BDL) by blending in with other passengers, though she failed to board a flight.
Two days later, on November 26, 2024, she successfully evaded security at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and boarded a Delta Air Lines (DL) flight to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG).
According to CNN, Dali exploited a special security lane for airline employees by joining an Air Europa (UX) crew during screening. Surveillance footage revealed she slipped past Delta Air Lines (DL) staff at the gate by mingling with a large group of passengers.
Once on the plane, she hid in a bathroom for hours, only discovered by the crew as the flight neared Paris.
Dali’s actions violated federal aviation security protocols, leading to her conviction on a federal stowaway charge in May 2025.
During her sentencing on July 10, 2025, in Brooklyn, a federal judge imposed a sentence of time served, approximately seven months in a federal lockup, along with one year of supervised release.
However, Connecticut authorities issued an active arrest warrant for her attempt to breach security at Bradley International Airport (BDL), preventing her release as they seek extradition for felony charges that could result in up to five years imprisonment if convicted.
Photo: Clément AlloingDali’s Defense and Claims
During her trial, Dali defended herself, claiming she was never asked for a boarding pass at the JFK gate and hid in the airplane bathroom due to feeling ill.
At her sentencing, she spoke for over 30 minutes through a Russian interpreter, alleging she was being poisoned by unknown individuals, which drove her to board the Paris flight to “save her life.”
She urged the judge to order medical tests to substantiate her claims, which she described as the motivation for her actions.
Judge Ann Donnelly acknowledged Dali’s “difficult life” but emphasized the need for deterrence, stating, “When someone gets onto a plane without a ticket, it’s a danger.” The judge included supervised release to ensure Dali receives mental health treatment.
Photo: By Oliver Holzbauer – N171DZ Delta Air Lines Boeing 767-332(ER)(WL) coming in from New York (KJFK) @ Frankfurt (EDDF) / 08.04.2015, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=40669627Additional Incidents
Dali’s history of evading airport security extends beyond the Paris incident. In February 2024, US Customs and Border Protection agents found her hiding in a bathroom in the international arrivals zone at Miami International Airport (MIA), suggesting an illegal entry.
Additionally, after her initial release following the Paris flight arrest, she was apprehended in Buffalo, New York, in December 2024, after allegedly cutting off her electronic monitor and attempting to cross into Canada via the Peace Bridge.
Prosecutors noted her disruptive behavior during attempts to return her to the U.S. from Paris, which delayed her transport. These incidents indicate a pattern of attempting to bypass security measures across multiple airports.
Photo: JFK SpottingAirport Security Gaps
Dali’s ability to exploit security gaps raises concerns about aviation safety protocols. Her success in boarding an international flight without documentation highlights vulnerabilities in passenger screening processes.
Prosecutors emphasized that delta stowaway incidents could encourage copycat behavior, threatening air travel safety and airport security integrity.
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and airlines like Delta Air Lines (DL) and Air Europa (UX) face scrutiny to strengthen gate checks and employee screening lanes to prevent similar breaches.
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