Svetlana Dali faces new extradition after stowing away on international flight
- Svetlana Dali was found guilty of stowing away on a Delta flight from New York to Paris and was sentenced to time served.
- She is facing additional charges in Connecticut for breaching airport security before her stowaway flight.
- Her attempts to flee the country and concerns over her behavior have led authorities to seek her extradition.
In the United States, Svetlana Dali, a Russian citizen and U.S. permanent resident, was convicted of stowing away on a Delta flight from New York City to Paris on November 26, 2024. Dali bypassed security checkpoints at John F. Kennedy International Airport, successfully evading multiple boarding pass verifications before boarding the flight without a ticket or passport. Once on board, she hid in a bathroom for several hours to avoid detection, claiming later that she had not been asked to show her boarding pass at the gate. Authorities found her when the plane was nearing Paris, and she was subsequently returned to the U.S. on December 4, 2024. Dali had previously attempted to breach security at Bradley International Airport in Connecticut just days before her stowaway flight, hiding in a restroom and attempting to access a JetBlue flight. Despite claiming she was waiting for her husband, authorities found no records of her arrival on any flight that day. Dali's actions raised significant concerns regarding airport security; stowaway incidents can inspire copycat behavior and pose risks to aviation safety. Following her sentencing to time served, she remains in custody, facing new charges in Connecticut related to her security breach at the airport. During her sentencing, Dali claimed to the judge that she feared for her life and believed she was being poisoned, a fear that led her to attempt to flee illegally. Notably, Dali had previously been apprehended after cutting off her electronic monitor and trying to escape to Canada. Legal complications intensified as Connecticut authorities sought her extradition to respond to felony charges that could result in further imprisonment. Given the circumstances surrounding her case, the authorities expressed concern over her behavior during her attempts to evade law enforcement. Prosecutors argued against her release due to the new felony charges while she remains under a potential extradition order to face the allegations in Connecticut.