Paris
CNN
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A Russian girl who stowed away on a Delta Air Line flight from New York to Paris final week has returned stateside Wednesday.
The airplane that left Paris’ Charles de Gaulle Airport landed shortly after 5 p.m. ET at John F. Kennedy International Airport in Queens, New York. Svetlana Dali, who French authorities recognized as the girl who beforehand stowed away, appeared calm and compliant all through the flight, in response to a CNN producer who was on the airplane.
Representatives from TSA and regulation enforcement each plan to query Dali when she deplanes. Aerials from CNN affiliate WABC present at the very least one automobile marked as police subsequent to the gate exterior.
Dali left Paris on Wednesday aboard a flight from Charles de Gaulle Airport shortly after 3 p.m. native time (9 a.m. ET).
She was escorted onto the Delta Air Lines-operated airplane by two French safety officers. “Everything goes to plan,” mentioned an airport official whereas the airplane was nonetheless within the air.
She sat quietly behind the plane within the center aisle. Occasionally she leaned her head towards the seat in entrance of her, staring down on the flooring or closed her eyes and listened to music.
She was flanked by safety officers on each side.
Two earlier makes an attempt to ship Dali again to the US have been deserted after she began screaming after boarding a airplane Saturday and on Tuesday when Delta refused to fly her after she boarded. Delta has declined to touch upon its causes for refusing to move her.
“I’m somewhat bit nervous. She handed safety which suggests there was a failure someplace,” Zaid Haddad, a passenger on Wednesday’s flight, instructed CNN.
“I’m glad there’s safety along with her.”
The preliminary incident, by which Dali one way or the other sneaked onto a airplane on one of many busiest journey days of the yr, has raised severe questions on airport safety after she was in a position to bypass a number of checkpoints.
Dali first bypassed an airport terminal worker in command of the road for the Known Crewmember checkpoint at JFK Airport’s Terminal 4 and bypassed stations the place her ID and boarding cross would have been checked, a spokesperson for the Transportation Security Administration instructed CNN.
At the gate, she positioned herself in the course of what gave the impression to be a household touring collectively, in response to a senior regulation enforcement official briefed on the investigation. She was not carrying any prohibited gadgets, in response to a TSA spokesperson.
Asked repeatedly to explain what befell on the gate, Delta has not commented.
Onboard, Dali managed to keep away from being simply found by hiding within the bathrooms, a passenger on the airplane mentioned he overheard flight attendants say.
“I overheard the flight attendants speaking about it with the pilots,” New York City actual property dealer Rob Jackson instructed CNN. “They mentioned this individual was in a single toilet after which would exit and stroll to a special toilet and go in there for a very long time,” he mentioned.
A Paris airport official recognized Dali as a 57-year-old Russian nationwide.
Records point out Dali as soon as lived within the Philadelphia space.
CNN has tried to contact Dali’s household and pals to search out out extra about her.
Authorities haven’t mentioned whether or not Dali has tried to sneak onto a airplane earlier than, or whether or not she was beforehand recognized to regulation enforcement. It is unclear how lengthy she had been within the United States.
Authorities in New York will likely be on the airport ready for Dali when her airplane lands.
Inspectors from the TSA are making ready a civil case towards Dali after reviewing airport safety video from inside JFK Airport, company spokesperson Alexa Lopez instructed CNN.
“The TSA will open civil circumstances towards passengers when there’s proof that procedures could have been violated,” Lopez mentioned. The TSA can not deliver felony fees, although it might refer them to the Justice Department.
Law enforcement authorities wish to query Dali about how she evaded airport safety and decide whether or not or to not deliver fees, in response to a senior regulation enforcement official.
Delta mentioned it’s working with regulation enforcement and conducting an investigation of its personal.
“Nothing is of larger significance than issues of security and safety,” a Delta spokesperson mentioned in a press release. “That’s why Delta is conducting an exhaustive investigation of what could have occurred and can work collaboratively with different aviation stakeholders and regulation enforcement to that finish.”
CNN has reached out to Delta to ask whether or not Dali will likely be banned from future flights with the airline.
This story has been up to date with extra info.
CNN’s Mark Morales, John Miller, Pete Muntean, Taylor Romine and Sara Smart contributed to this report.
