A passenger managed to board an aircraft on a flight operated by Delta Airlines from New York to Paris without a ticket, somehow avoiding two boarding pass checks, leading both the US carrier and the US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to announce that they had launched an investigation to see how this happened.

French police officers boarded the plane in Paris and arrested the stowaway yesterday (Nov. 27) before letting travelers off the plane, one of the passengers on the flight told CNN.

Delta Flight 264 departed from John Kennedy International Airport in New York (JFK) on Tuesday evening (26/11) and landed at Charles de Gaulle International Airport in Paris on Wednesday.

The TSA said the arrested man passed through the passenger body check – the aviation security screener (Screeners) – before the flight and boarded without carrying any prohibited items.

“The individual bypassed two ID and boarding pass verification stations and boarded the aircraft, the TSA said, adding that “it will conduct an independent investigation into the circumstances of this incident at our travel document check station at JFK.”

Passengers typically go through at least two boarding pass checks: one at the TSA checkpoint before entering the boarding area and another check at the gate by the airline.

At the gate, the passenger is given a second check-in before boarding at the gate.
“Nothing is more important than security issues. That’s why Delta is conducting a thorough investigation into what may have happened and will work with other aviation stakeholders and law enforcement agencies to that end,” US carrier Delta Airlines.