A Russian woman managed to sneak onto a flight from New York to Paris last week by cleverly bypassing airport security at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK). How did she do it? By blending in with flight crews and slipping through the cracks in an already chaotic holiday travel scene.
Here’s what happened: The 57-year-old woman started off in a security line meant for airline crews at JFK’s Terminal 4. She bypassed an airport worker monitoring the area and then joined a regular TSA screening line. But instead of following the usual steps—like showing her ID and boarding pass—she managed to avoid those checks altogether. From there, she made her way to the gate, blending in with a family traveling together.
It was the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, one of the busiest travel days of the year, with TSA screening nearly 2.7 million passengers at airports across the U.S. Investigators think the large holiday crowds may have helped her avoid drawing attention.
The woman successfully boarded the flight to Paris. However, her troubles weren’t over. When she tried to return to New York on Tuesday, Delta Air Lines refused to let her fly. A Paris airport official told media that Delta delayed her flight back, and she would now have to return with a French escort on Wednesday instead.
This wasn’t her first attempt to leave Paris. On Saturday, she was booked on another Delta flight but caused a scene onboard by yelling, “I don’t want to go back to the USA. Only a judge can make me go back!” French authorities had to remove her from the plane and rebook her for Tuesday’s flight. Witnesses on Saturday’s flight, like passenger Gary Treichler, said the woman seemed distressed and adamant about staying in France.
Now, French authorities plan to send her back to New York escorted by two French security officers. On Tuesday’s flight, six U.S. marshals were supposed to accompany her, but that plan was scrapped when she didn’t board.
Meanwhile, TSA officials are reviewing security footage from JFK to figure out exactly how she got through. According to TSA spokesperson Alexa Lopez, the agency is preparing a civil case against her for breaking airport security rules. While TSA doesn’t handle criminal charges, it can refer the case to the Justice Department for further action.
Delta has launched its own investigation into how the woman managed to board the plane in the first place, but the airline has kept its findings under wraps so far.
TSA Administrator David Pekoske acknowledged that, while rare, there are occasional incidents where people bypass identity checks. Speaking at a recent Aviation Security Summit, Pekoske suggested that implementing electronic gates could help prevent such lapses in the future.
This bizarre incident is a reminder of the challenges airports face in keeping millions of passengers safe, especially during the hectic holiday season. For now, all eyes are on how this unusual case will unfold.
