Photo: Niagara County Sheriff's Office
Svetlana Dali, known for her history of sneaking onto flights, allegedly boarded a United Airlines flight from Newark Liberty International Airport to Milan without a ticket on Wednesday night (February 25). According to law enforcement sources, Dali managed to bypass ticketing agents and was discovered by the crew only after the plane was airborne over the Atlantic Ocean.
Dali, a Russian citizen with U.S. residency, was taken into custody upon arrival in Milan. This incident follows her previous conviction for stowing away on a Delta Air Lines flight from New York's JFK Airport to Paris in November 2024. She was sentenced to time served for that offense.
Dali's pattern of security breaches includes an attempt to sneak onto a flight at Bradley International Airport in Connecticut, where she was caught, and an incident at Miami International Airport, where she was found hiding in a secure area.
The FBI, along with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and the Transportation Security Administration, is investigating the latest incident. Dali's appeal against her previous conviction is currently pending in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit, with a government response expected by March 4, 2026.
Authorities are still determining whether Dali has legal representation for the current charges.