Person without a ticket gets through Sea-Tac security and almost flies to Hawaii

Someone without a ticket was able to get around security at Sea-Tac International Airport and get on a Delta flight to Hawaii on Christmas Eve. Airline staff, however, caught them before takeoff.

"As there are no matters more important than safety and security, Delta people followed procedures to have an unticketed passenger removed from the flight and then apprehended," Delta said in a statement. "We apologize to our customers for the delay in their travels and thank them for their patience and cooperation.”

The incident happened on Delta flight 487 on Dec. 24. The flight is between Seattle and Honolulu. While the plane was being taxied to the runway, the unticketed passenger was found. The plane then returned to the gate around 1:05 p.m. and the person was kicked off. Police then found the person in an airport bathroom where they were arrested by Port of Seattle police.

The event prompted additional security checks, including a search by a K9 unit, causing the flight to be delayed by more than 2 hours.

According to the Port of Seattle, the person was able to pass through TSA security on the evening of Dec. 23. They did not have a boarding pass, yet went through normal screening. The person was also able to get onto the plane without scanning a ticket at the gate.