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Not ticketed Airline passenger He managed to evade security and airline officials in Seattle before boarding a flight bound for Honolulu earlier this week, according to Delta Air Lines and the Transportation and Security Administration (TSA) in Seattle.
The fare evader, who has not been identified, boarded Delta Air Lines Flight 487 at Seattle/Tacoma International Airport (SEA) on Dec. 24, bound for the Hawaiian capital just before Christmas.
But before the Airbus A321neo could take off, the freeloader was spotted and ejected from the plane. This incident caused the flight to be delayed for about two hours and 15 minutes.
American Airlines is pulling up stations nationwide on Christmas Eve due to a “technical issue.”
A Delta Air Lines Airbus A321-211 – similar to the plane in Tuesday's accident – taxis forward from San Diego International Airport to Salt Lake City on November 18, 2024 in San Diego, California. (Kevin Carter/Getty Images/Getty Images)
“TSA can confirm that an individual underwent standard screening and did not have any prohibited items in their possession,” a TSA statement provided to Fox Business said. “This individual bypassed the boarding status and identity verification stations and boarded the plane at Seattle/Tacoma International (SEA) without a boarding pass.”
It is not clear how the passenger without a ticket was able to escape from the checkpoint and board the plane.
The TSA statement continues: “TSA takes seriously any incident that occurs at any of our checkpoints around the country. TSA independently investigates the circumstances of the incident at our travel document review station at the Seattle/Tacoma Interstate. International checks.”
Passengers go through security screening at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on November 29, 2020 in Seattle/Tacoma International Airport (SEA). (Photo by David Ryder/Getty Images/Getty Images)
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The agency says it will file a civil case against any passenger when there is evidence TSA regulations It may have been violated.
Meanwhile, Delta Airlines It says the person was apprehended by law enforcement when the plane returned to the gate and TSA conducted additional security checks, including re-screening the customer.
“Because nothing is more important than safety and security, Delta personnel took steps to de-board and then arrest an unticketed passenger,” a Delta spokesperson said. We apologize to our customers for the travel delay and thank them for their patience and cooperation.
A TSA agent wears a patch on his uniform. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
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The airline says an investigation is underway, but initial indications are that the unticketed passenger boarded the flight without presenting a boarding pass at the gate. According to Airbus, the Airbus A321neo typically seats around 180 to 220 passengers.
The incident comes just weeks after someone allegedly sneaked onto a Delta Air Lines flight departing John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City and didn't realize it until the plane was about to crash. in paris.
He was arrested after the flight attendant noticed that he had been in the plane's bathroom for some time Abnormally long periods of time.
Fox News' Luis Casciano contributed to this report.