A Delta passenger reportedly boarded a plane by taking a photograph of another person’s ticket when they weren’t looking. This allowed him to get past the front gate and onto the aircraft undetected.
According to USA Today, the incident occurred on a Delta Air Lines flight on Sunday, March 17. The flight departed from Salt Lake City, Utah, for a destination of Austin, Texas.
The passenger told officers he was visiting Utah for a snowboarding trip and was initially trying to use a friend’s Southwest Airlines buddy pass for a flight, but that aircraft was full. Therefore, he was rebooked with a new ticket at a later time, but instead of waiting for that flight, “he used the Southwest flight to get through security” and went to the Delta area of the airport.
The passenger was identified as Wicliff Yves Fleurizard of George, Texas. He was arrested on a felony count of stowing away on an aircraft, and he “faces a fine or no more than a five-year sentence, or both.”
Stowaway arrested at Salt Lake airport after hiding in Delta airliner lavatories https://t.co/YQEDGrrTtC
— Utah News Tweets (@Utah_Newspapers) March 21, 2024
People Magazine received a copy of the complaint against Feurizard, which said, “After boarding was complete and just before the aircraft doors were secured, Fleurizard exited the front lavatory and made his way to the back of the aircraft and entered the aft lavatory.”
The complaint continued that the stowaway exited the back lavatory and was approached by a flight attendant who noticed that no seats were available on the plane. It then stated, “Fleurizard indicated to the flight attendant that his seat was 21F. The flight attendant verified that the passenger who was in seat 21F was the individual who had purchased and had been ticketed for that seat, and it was not Fleurizard.”
Fleurizard’s attempt at not paying for his flight was further compounded after a young woman traveling alone had difficulties scanning her ticket. Delta’s ticketing system ultimately showed she was already on board the plane.
In surveillance footage, according to NBC News, Fleurizard was seen in the Delta boarding area taking snapshots of passengers’ phones when their boarding passes were displayed. They were unaware he was doing so.
CNN cited Delta Air Lines spokesperson Morgan Durrant, who said, “Delta is cooperating with law enforcement and relevant federal agencies regarding an investigation into a non-ticketed individual being escorted off an aircraft in Salt Lake City prior to a scheduled departure. We defer any additional questions to law enforcement.”
