Check out what’s clicking on FoxBusiness.com. An unticketed airline passenger in Seattle managed to bypass security and airline officials before boarding a flight bound for Honolulu earlier this week – only to be apprehended as the aircraft taxied out, according to Delta Air Lines and the Transportation and Security Administration (TSA).
The fare-dodger, who has not been identified, got on Delta Air Lines Flight 487 at Seattle/Tacoma International Airport (SEA) on December 24, which was headed to Hawaii’s capital just before Christmas. But before the Airbus A321neo could take off, the freeloader was spotted and removed from the aircraft. The incident caused the flight to take off about two hours and 15 minutes behind schedule.
TSA confirms that the individual went through standard screening and did not possess any prohibited items, but bypassed the identity verification and boarding status stations and boarded an aircraft at Seattle/Tacoma International without a boarding pass. It is unclear how the unticketed passenger was able to evade the checkpoints and get onto the aircraft.
TSA takes all incidents that occur at any of its checkpoints nationwide seriously and will independently review the circumstances of this incident. The agency says it opens a civil case against any passenger when there is evidence that TSA regulations may have been violated.
Delta Air Lines says the individual was apprehended by law enforcement when the aircraft returned to the gate and TSA conducted additional security checks, including customer rescreening. “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,” a Delta spokesperson said. “We apologize to our customers for the delay in their travels and thank them for their patience and cooperation.”
The airline says an investigation is ongoing, but early indications are that the unticketed passenger boarded the flight at the gate without presenting a boarding pass. The Airbus A321neo typically seats around 180 to 220 passengers. The incident comes just weeks after a person allegedly sneaked onto a Delta Air Lines flight that departed John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City and wasn’t noticed until the aircraft was close to touching down in Paris.
