NEW YORK- Delta Air Lines (DL) faced an unusual boarding error when a passenger mistakenly boarded the wrong flight at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York, intending to head to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) but ending up on a plane bound for Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) in Las Vegas.
The incident caused the flight to return to the gate, leading to a significant delay, and raised questions about airport security and gate procedures, echoing prior stowaway cases on Delta flights.
Photo: Clément AlloingDelta Passenger Boards Wrong Flight at JFK
A passenger boarded a Delta Air Lines flight, DL607, scheduled to depart John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) at 7:15 a.m. on August 10, 2025, but he aimed for a Los Angeles (LAX) route instead of Las Vegas (LAS).
One flight attendant initially allowed him to stay aboard with a promise of rebooking from Las Vegas (LAS), but another intervened due to no record of his ticket.
This prompted the Boeing 757 (registered as N548US) to taxi back to the gate after pushing back, removing the passenger, and delaying departure until 9:30 a.m. The flight arrived in Las Vegas (LAS) nearly 90 minutes late.
A passenger on the flight posted on Reddit about the event, describing how a flight attendant approached the man seated nearby and confirmed his error. The man chose to stay initially, but the second attendant enforced removal for lacking proper documentation.
The witness expressed concern over how the man accessed the plane, highlighting potential gaps in boarding checks.
Former TSA employees commented on Reddit, noting that gate agents often overlook issues amid high passenger volumes, rushed environments, and understaffing. They explained that confident behavior allows people to bypass agents unnoticed, as seen in videos of individuals walking past without challenge. Overworked staff and demanding passengers contribute to such failures.
Delta Air Lines (DL) stated to PYOK, apologizing for the delay on flight 607 from John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK). The airline confirmed the return to the gate to reaccommodate the misticketed passenger, emphasizing customer impact but providing no further details on the boarding lapse.
Photo: Clément AlloingHistory of Stowaway Incidents with Delta
In November 2024, a stowaway evaded checks at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and hid in a lavatory on a fully booked Delta Air Lines (DL) flight to Paris, was discovered mid-flight, and later extradited.
Eight months earlier, another intruder in Salt Lake City photographed a passenger’s boarding pass to board a Delta flight, but fled upon finding no open seats.
In December 2024, flight attendants stopped a stowaway on a Seattle to Honolulu Delta flight after the person hid airside overnight at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA). The TSA confirmed all cases involved screened individuals without dangerous items.
Photo: By MarcelX42 – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=119387148Similar Incident
A 79-year-old traveller boarded the wrong flight at Copenhagen Airport (CPH) last week, ending up in Bologna, Italy (BLQ), instead of Berlin, Germany (BER). The passenger mistakenly boarded a Ryanair (FR) service instead of an easyJet (U2) flight.
The error went unnoticed until arrival in Bologna, where airport signage revealed the unexpected destination. Reports from Swedish outlet Expressen indicate that both airlines operated flights from the same gate that day, increasing the chance of confusion.
The passenger followed airport screens showing easyJet (U2) passengers to Berlin being directed to a designated gate. Upon arrival, they joined a boarding queue without realising it was for a Ryanair (FR) flight to Bologna.
Data from Cirium shows that between May 19 and May 25, Ryanair operated six departures to Bologna while easyJet scheduled 16 flights to Berlin from Copenhagen (CPH). These overlapping schedules occurred on six days within the week, increasing the risk of boarding errors.
On May 22, Flightradar24 recorded Ryanair flight FR2676 departing Copenhagen at 10:40 local time to Bologna (BLQ). The intended easyJet flight, U2 5266 to Berlin (BER), was set for 12:55 but departed at 14:01. This gap meant the wrong flight left significantly earlier, making detection less likely.
The traveller stated they showed both their passport and boarding pass during boarding. Despite this, no crew or ground staff identified the mismatch between the passenger’s details and the flight manifest.
Aviation security experts note that such oversights can pose safety concerns. If a passenger with malicious intent exploited this type of boarding process failure, the results could be far more serious.
After discovering the mistake, Ryanair staff arranged transport for the passenger to Venice (VCE), where they stayed overnight at a hotel. The next day, on May 23, the traveller boarded a flight from Venice Marco Polo Airport (VCE) to Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER), finally reaching their intended destination.
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