Delta Air Lines and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) are facing scrutiny after a second stowaway incident in recent weeks, raising concerns about security lapses during one of the busiest travel seasons of the year. The latest breach occurred on Christmas Eve, when an unticketed passenger managed to board Delta flight 487 from Seattle to Honolulu.
Passengers were initially unaware of the breach. "Nobody knew really what was going on. So we were kind of left in the dark," passenger Brady Bly told Channel 2's Steve Gehlbach. The flight was halted while taxiing, and the plane returned to the gate.
According to the Port of Seattle, the unticketed individual bypassed standard boarding pass and identification checks and managed to access the plane's loading bridge without scanning a valid ticket. The stowaway was discovered before takeoff, prompting all passengers to disembark for rescreening at a TSA checkpoint.
Delta later confirmed that the passenger was removed from the aircraft and apprehended. "Delta people followed procedures to have an unticketed passenger removed from the flight and then apprehended," the airline said in a statement, emphasizing its commitment to safety and security.
Authorities located the individual hiding in a terminal restroom using video surveillance. The suspect was arrested and charged with criminal trespassing. TSA spokespersons stated that the stowaway had undergone proper security screening and was not carrying prohibited items. The agency has launched an independent review of the incident.
The flight eventually resumed its journey to Honolulu after a two-hour and fifteen-minute delay.
This incident follows a similar security breach during Thanksgiving week, when a Russian national, Svetlana Dali, boarded a Delta flight from New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport to Paris without a valid ticket. Dali was arrested upon landing and subsequently returned to the United States.
The recurrence of such incidents has heightened traveler concerns. "It's kind of scary if somebody could just sneak on the plane like that through two security checks," Bly said. He questioned whether Delta and TSA are doing enough to ensure passenger safety, adding, "I don't think Delta did everything they could to protect people on the flight."
Security experts have called for heightened vigilance, particularly during peak travel periods. Port of Seattle Police and TSA officials have stressed their commitment to investigating vulnerabilities and implementing corrective measures.
Delta thanked passengers for their patience and reiterated its dedication to maintaining robust security protocols. However, the airline and the TSA are likely to face mounting pressure to address systemic gaps that allow such breaches to occur.
With two high-profile stowaway cases in less than a month, travelers and industry insiders are demanding immediate action to prevent further incidents. Bly encapsulated the general sentiment, saying, "Everyone just has to do a better job making sure that people are where they're supposed to be."
