Archive · 22 Dec 2025
Stowaways on Planes: A Persistent Phenomenon
Some people have been able to sneak onto airplanes without tickets or passports.
This has happened at big airports like Heathrow.
They often trick security by following someone else or hiding on the plane.
Once caught, they can be sent back or even go to jail.
Experts say it's hard to stop because security can get busy and miss these tricks.
But as technology gets better, it might become harder for people to sneak onto planes.
An unnamed man boarded a British Airways flight from Heathrow to Oslo on 13 December 2023 without a ticket or passport.
He tailgated through security and pretended to be with a family to board the plane.
Notable stowaways include Craig Sturt, Svetlana Dali, Sergey Ochigava, and Marilyn Hartman, who have been caught in similar incidents.
Stowaways often exploit distractions and bottlenecks in airport security to sneak through.
Experts believe advancing technology may make it harder for stowaways to board planes in the future.
- Who
- An unnamed man and other notable stowaways like Craig Sturt, Svetlana Dali, Sergey Ochigava, and Marilyn Hartman
- What
- Stowaways boarding planes without proper documentation or tickets
- When
- The latest incident occurred on 13 December 2023
- Where
- Heathrow Airport and other international airports
- Why
- Motives are often unclear, with some cases involving deception and unauthorized access
- Date of Latest Incident
- 13 December 2023
- Airline Involved
- British Airways
- Flight Route
- Heathrow to Oslo
- Airplane Model
- Airbus A320
- Method Used
- Tailgating and pretending to be with a family
- Notable Stowaway
- Marilyn Hartman (Serial Stowaway)
- Sentence for Sergey Ochigava
- 93 days and $2,174 fine