Milan, Italy – Svetlana Dali, a Russian national with a history of evading airport security, was detained by Italian authorities Thursday after allegedly stowing away on a United Airlines flight from Newark Liberty International Airport, law enforcement sources said.
Dali, 36, was discovered aboard United flight 19, a Boeing 777-200 traveling to Milan, sometime during the more than seven-hour journey, according to a law enforcement source cited by CNN. The flight departed Newark at 5:51 p.m. ET Wednesday and landed in Milan at 7:09 a.m. Local time Thursday, where she was taken into custody.
“Safety and security are our highest priorities,” United Airlines said in a statement. “We are investigating this incident and working with the appropriate authorities.” The FBI in Newark confirmed it is aware of the “alleged stowaway” and is working with the Port Authority and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) on the ongoing investigation, according to FBI spokesperson Emily Molinari.
This is not Dali’s first attempt to fly without a valid ticket. In November 2024, she was convicted in Brooklyn federal court for stowing away on a Delta Air Lines flight from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport to Paris. Security footage from that incident showed Dali circumventing security personnel and boarding the flight undetected, blending in with a family at the gate. She was later found hiding in a lavatory during the flight.
At her sentencing in July 2025, Dali claimed she was attempting to escape what she believed to be poisoning by the U.S. Military, stating through a Russian interpreter, “My actions were directed toward only one purpose: to save my life.” She received a sentence of time served.
However, Dali’s attempts to evade authorities did not end with her conviction. Shortly after her release, prosecutors said she removed an electronic monitoring device and boarded a Greyhound bus headed to Canada in December 2024. She was subsequently apprehended and remained in custody for over seven months before being sentenced for the Paris flight.
Prior to the Paris incident, prosecutors revealed Dali had attempted to board flights without proper documentation on at least two other occasions in 2024. These included an attempt to board a plane at Bradley International Airport in Connecticut and being discovered hiding in a bathroom in a secure area of Miami International Airport, according to ABC News.
The TSA has not yet released a statement regarding the security breach at Newark Liberty International Airport. The FBI investigation remains open, with authorities working to determine how Dali was able to bypass security measures and board the United Airlines flight.