The woman who managed to get on board a Delta Airlines flight from New York to France was captured in new footage pleading with flight attendants not to ‘send her back to America.’
French officials disclosed to ABC News this week that the woman, identified as Svetlana Dali, is a Russian citizen who holds legal residency in the US.
In a startling security lapse at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York on November 30th, Dali reportedly bypassed security checks and the Delta gate to board the flight to Paris without having valid travel documents.
Passengers filmed the stowaway after she was caught out by flight attendants, as Dali became ‘belligerent’ and screamed at staff trying to question her.
‘Please help me!’ she was seen saying in the video. ‘I don’t want to go to the United States.’
Officials said she was detained in France and was placed back on a flight to the US days later, but new footage then also showed her being combative with airline staff, screaming about needing ‘asylum against the United States.’
Delta and TSA said it they have launched an investigation to find out how Dali allegedly snuck past security checkpoints.
‘Nothing is of greater importance than matters of safety and security. That’s why Delta is conducting an exhaustive investigation of what may have occurred and will work collaboratively with other aviation stakeholders and law enforcement to that end,’ Delta said in a statement.
The woman who allegedly snuck onto a Delta Airlines flight from New York to France last week, named as Svetlana Dali, was seen in bombshell new footage begging flight attendants not to ‘send her back to America’
After Dali was detained in Paris, officials attempted to deport her back to JFK – with separate footage showing the stowaway screaming about needing ‘asylum against the United States’
In a shocking security breach at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York on November 30, Dali allegedly walked through security checkpoints and past the Delta gate to sneak onto the flight to Paris despite having no valid travel documents
The TSA said Dali was originally screened at JFK Airport and was not carrying any prohibited items, but was found to be ‘without a boarding pass.’
It is not explained how Dali was allowed through the security checkpoint where they scan passengers’ boarding passes.
‘TSA takes any incidents that occur at any of our checkpoints nationwide seriously,’ TSA spokesperson Daniel Velez said.
‘TSA will independently review the circumstances of this incident at our travel document checker station at JFK.’
When Dali arrived at Paris’ Roissy-Charles de Gaulle Airport, French authorities said she was ‘refused entry for lack of valid travel document, and was placed in a waiting area.’
Because she held a valid US residence, French officials moved to send her back on a return flight to JFK days later, however Dali was intent on remaining outside the US.
In footage from passengers on the return flight, Dali was again seen screaming and protesting her deportation, and said she needed ‘asylum.’
French airport officials also revealed that Dali has previously applied for asylum in France, although they did not say when she applied or if it was ever granted.
Dali has remained in France since being booted off her return flight to JFK, and will reportedly be back into police custody temporarily.
Airline staff were seen in the footage trying to calm down and restrain the stowaway, who reportedly tried to evade them at the start of the flight by walking from bathroom to bathroom
Passenger Jairam Dookoo, who was on Dali’s first flight to Paris, said the stowaway initially pretended to try and find her documents ‘for 10 minutes’ before arguing with airline staff
Passenger Natalia Treichler said Dali became ‘belligerent’ soon after boarding the return flight, and the situation ‘escalated’ when more stewardesses stepped in to try and restrain her
Several passengers shared their experience of being on the flight with Dali, who reportedly tried to evade staff by walking from bathroom to bathroom after take off.
Jairam Dookoo, who was on the original flight to Paris, said Dali initially pretended to try and find her documents before arguing with airline staff.
‘She took 10 minutes to just find her bags, to try and find her boarding pass,’ he told ABC News. ‘Which she did not have at all.’
Footage of Dali being unruly with airline staff when French authorities tried to deport her back was taken before the jet ever got off the ground, and passengers said she began freaking out almost instantly.
Passenger Natalia Treichler said: ‘She got belligerent, and so more stewardesses came in to try and restrain her.
‘That’s when everything started to escalate.’
