Serial Stowaway Arrested Again for Taking Another Free Flight to Milan

A serial stowaway who was previously convicted of taking international flights without a ticket has been arrested again. This time, Svetlana Dali boarded a flight to Milan from Newark Liberty International Airport. The serial stowaway is a Russian citizen who holds a permanent resident visa in the United States.

Dali was detained at Milan’s Malpensa Airport and could potentially face prosecution in the United States. Authorities alleged that Dali sneaked onto United Flight 19, which departed at 5:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday.

She managed to get past ticketing agents. It was only after the Boeing 777-200 was already over the Atlantic that the United in-flight crew noticed Dali did not have a ticket. Dali pretended not to hear the crew’s questions when she was confronted.

The FBI and representatives of the U.S. Attorney’s Office declined to comment on Thursday. Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Transportation Security Administration said the agency was aware of the incident and that it was under investigation.

United Airlines said in a statement “We are investigating this incident and working with the appropriate authorities.” 

Serial Stowaway

In May, a federal jury in Brooklyn convicted Dali of taking an unauthorized flight from New York to Paris on November 26, 2024. She was sentenced to time already served.

While awaiting trial, she removed her electronic ankle monitor and fled the U.S. She took a bus to Canada but was later arrested in Buffalo. According to federal prosecutors, this occurred during a pretrial hearing.

Two days before her trip to Paris, Dali also managed to evade security at Bradley International Airport near Hartford, Connecticut. However, according to officials, she was caught just before she could board the plane.

Officials also said that earlier that year, Dali was caught by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents hiding in a bathroom in a secured area at Miami International Airport.