Stowaway caught on New York flight to Paris faces court hearing

A woman accused of sneaking onto a flight from New York to Paris last week is set to face a court hearing in New York on Thursday.

The suspect, identified as 57-year-old Svetlana Dali, was arrested by the FBI on 4 December upon her return to New York City, according to the Transportation Security Administration.

The Russian national was first taken into custody in France on 26 November, where she was refused entry into the country because she did not have a visa. She was ordered to be returned to the US.

Security footage showed Dali was able to bypass security restrictions without a boarding pass by using a line for known crew members that merges with other customers, the TSA confirmed. It is unclear how she was able to board the plane.

The Guardian reported that Dali moved between bathrooms without taking a seat, drawing the attention of flight attendants.

Dali is expected to be charged with being a stowaway on a vessel or aircraft and could face up to five years in prison.