A woman convicted of stowing away on a flight out of John F. Kennedy International Airport in 2024 has allegedly done it again, sources say — this time, at Newark Liberty International Airport.
Stowaway on United flight to Milan
Svetlana Dali, a Russian National, was discovered on a United flight to Milan that departed Newark on Wednesday night, authorities say.
She allegedly slipped past the gates during boarding and was discovered halfway through the flight.
CBS News senior transportation and national correspondent Kris Van Cleave says Dali is believed to have helped herself to one of 20 or so empty seats on the plane.
Flight attendants are said to have discovered her far enough into the flight that the airline opted to continue it to Milan, Van Cleave reports, adding that she didn’t cause a disturbance after being discovered.
Once Italian authorities process her and decide if they will pursue any charges, it will be up to United to transport her back to the U.S., he says. After she’s returned, Van Cleave has been told, she “will not be welcome to travel on another United flight.”
United is reviewing video and doing its own review to determine how Dali allegedly circumvented the boarding process in Newark Liberty’s C terminal. Since this kind of situation is extremely rare it’s probably not a systemic issue, but the carrier may make adjustments based on any lessons learned.
The Transportation Security Administration is reviewing its procedures to try to understand how, allegedly, she got past the ticket/identification check or if she avoided the checkpoint altogether.
Svetlana Dali’s previous conviction
Last May, Dali was convicted of stowing away on a Delta flight to Paris in November 2024. She was discovered after the plane took off and was taken into custody in Paris.
Dali was sent back to New York City to face charges. She was initially released on bail, but she was arrested again after authorities said she removed her court-ordered GPS monitoring device and tried to travel to Canada.
She was later found guilty on a federal stowaway charge. In July, she was sentenced to time served and one year of supervised release with no fine.