A stowaway was caught attempting to sneak aboard a Delta Air Lines flight at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on Christmas Eve. This incident comes shortly after a similar event involving an unauthorized passenger who managed to travel from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport to Paris just before Thanksgiving.
On Tuesday, a stowaway was caught while attempting to board Delta Flight 487, which was taxiing out for Honolulu from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. The individual had gone through standard security screening and was not carrying any prohibited items. However, they managed to bypass the identity verification and boarding checks and boarded the aircraft without a valid ticket.
Once discovered, the Airbus A321neo returned to the gate to remove the passenger. Port of Seattle Police responded to a report of a suspicious situation at Gate B1 around 1:05 p.m. Officers located the individual in a terminal restroom using video surveillance, and the person was arrested for criminal trespass.
The aircraft was searched by K9 units, and all areas accessed by the stowaway were thoroughly checked. Passengers were escorted back to the security checkpoint for additional screening. The flight, which had been delayed by two hours and 15 minutes, resumed its journey to Honolulu after the rescreening at 3 p.m.
Delta Air Lines emphasized that safety and security are their top priorities, stating that their staff followed proper procedures to remove the unticketed passenger from the flight and ensure their apprehension. The airline apologized to passengers for the delay and expressed gratitude for their patience and cooperation.
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) also highlighted the seriousness of such incidents at any checkpoint. They confirmed they would conduct an independent review of the situation at the travel document checker station at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.