Delta Air Lines has now seen two recent incidents involving stowaways, raising concerns about airport security and passenger safety.
The latest incident occurred on a flight from Seattle to Honolulu on Tuesday, 24 December 2024. An unidentified individual managed to board the aircraft at Seattle without a ticket.
The unticketed passenger was identified and removed from the aircraft before the flight took off from Seattle.
Stowaway Incident Seattle-Honolulu
Flight DL437, operated by an Airbus A321neo registered N538DN, was preparing for a departure from Seattle Tacoma International Airport (SEA).
The flight was a regular scheduled service to Honolulu International Airport (HNL), Hawaii.
As the flight was taxiing for takeoff, the unticketed passenger was discovered onboard the aircraft. Flight crew subsequently returned the aircraft to the gate, and the stowaway was removed from the aircraft. The flight was delayed by approximately two hours as a result of the security incident.
Whilst the passenger was identified before the flight took off, it raised concerns as to how the individual evaded airport security checkpoints.
A statement issued by the TSA on Thursday confirmed the security breach. “The individual bypassed the identity verification and boarding status stations and boarded an aircraft at Seattle/Tacoma International (SEA) without a boarding pass.”
Delta Air Lines released a brief statement following the latest stowaway incident. “There are no matters more important than safety and security. Delta people followed procedures to have an unticketed passenger removed from the flight and then apprehended.”
These incidents highlight a significant security breach, as stowaways can pose a risk to themselves and other passengers. The ability to board a plane without proper authorization raises questions about the effectiveness of airport security measures.
Previous Incident: New York to Paris
This follows a similar incident in November 2024, when a woman stowed away on a Delta flight from New York to Paris.
In the November 2024 incident, a woman managed to board a Delta flight from New York to Paris without a boarding pass.
She was discovered during the flight and taken into custody upon landing at Paris Charles De Gaulle Airport. The incident sparked widespread concern and prompted a review of security protocols at airports.
Potential Security Breaches
These incidents raise several questions about potential security breaches:
- How did the stowaways bypass security checkpoints? This is a critical question, as it suggests a failure in the system designed to prevent unauthorized access to aircraft.
- What measures are in place to prevent future incidents? Airports and airlines need to review their security procedures to identify and address any vulnerabilities that may have allowed these stowaways to board flights.
- What are the potential risks posed by stowaways? While these incidents have not resulted in any major incidents, the potential for harm exists, both to the stowaways themselves and to other passengers.
The TSA will now independently review the circumstances of the latest security incident at Seattle.
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