Delta Air Lines disclosed on Friday that it is assessing a concerning incident at Washington Dulles International Airport involving a man who allegedly trailed a family through the terminal and subsequently boarded their flight without a ticket earlier this month. The airline stated that they have established procedures for gate agents and flight crews to confirm the identity of passengers on each flight and affirmed that they are examining the situation internally, in coordination with airport authorities.
The source of the narrative, Lauren Benton, informed ABC News that she observed a man shadowing herself, her spouse, and their two children within the terminal, even entering a women’s restroom. Upon boarding the plane, the individual followed suit and took a seat in their row. Benton mentioned that her husband confronted the man, leading a flight attendant to request his boarding pass, which he failed to present.
Subsequently, the man was escorted off the plane. As per the Transportation Security Administration, he did possess a valid ID and boarding pass for a later flight, shedding light on his ability to bypass the security checkpoint.