The flight, from Seattle to Honolulu, was preparing for takeoff when crew members discovered the unticketed passenger onboard, leading to the plane returning to the gate on Christmas Eve on Tuesday, Dec. 24.
Delta Airlines said that safety protocols were followed, resulting in the passenger’s removal and subsequent detention by law enforcement.
The identity of the person has not been released.
“As 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," Delta said in a statement. "We apologize to our customers for the delay in their travels and thank them for their patience and cooperation.”
A Russian woman living in Philadelphia, Svetlana Dali, boarded a Delta nightime flight from JFK International Airport in New York City to Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, on Tuesday, Nov. 26, without a boarding pass.
She had been turned away at a TSA checkpoint for not having a boarding pass but then returned and entered "through a special lane for airline employees" with a large group of airline crew members, the FBI said.
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