Milan, Italy – Svetlana Dali, a Russian citizen with U.S. Permanent residency, was taken into custody Thursday at Milan’s Malpensa Airport after allegedly stowing away on a United Airlines flight from Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey, authorities said.
Dali, who has a history of attempting to travel by concealing herself on commercial aircraft, was aboard United Flight 19, which departed Newark for Milan on Wednesday evening, according to law enforcement sources. The flight crew reportedly realized she was onboard only after the Boeing 777-200 was already over the Atlantic Ocean.
What we have is not Dali’s first encounter with aviation security. In November 2024, she was convicted in Brooklyn federal court of stowing away on a Delta Air Lines flight from New York’s JFK Airport to Paris. She was sentenced to time served in that case. Prior to that incident, she had attempted to sneak onto a flight at Bradley International Airport in Connecticut and was found hiding in a bathroom at Miami International Airport, according to officials.
According to sources familiar with the Newark-to-Milan flight, Dali bypassed ticketing agents at Gate C74. Once discovered by the in-flight crew, she allegedly pretended not to hear questions regarding her ticket or travel status.
The FBI’s Newark office is investigating the incident, working with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and the Transportation Security Administration. “We are investigating this incident and working with the appropriate authorities,” United Airlines said in a statement.
Dali’s previous attempt to reach Europe without a valid ticket involved hiding in a bathroom on a Delta flight to Paris. During that incident, prosecutors said she faked vomiting to explain her extended time in the lavatory. After being returned to the U.S. To face charges, Dali allegedly cut off her ankle monitor and attempted to cross the Peace Bridge into Canada.
Michael K. Schneider, Dali’s federal defender from the previous case, declined to comment on the latest arrest. He similarly did not comment on whether Dali was undergoing a mental health evaluation, as required by the terms of her supervised release following her conviction in 2024.
The investigation remains ongoing and authorities have not yet disclosed how Dali managed to bypass security at Newark Liberty International Airport. The FBI has not released further details regarding the circumstances surrounding her presence on the flight.
