At the largest terminal at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport on one of the busiest travel days of the year, security lapses enabled an unticketed passenger to board a plane to Paris in a shocking breach that one aviation expert said should serve as a “wake-up call” for the airline industry. “It’s a really big deal and it leaves our vulnerabilities exposed to the world,” said Mary Schiavo, a CNN aviation analyst and former inspector general for the US Department of Transportation. “Not much went right,” she said of the episode involving a woman a Paris airport official identified as a 57-year-old Russian national. French authorities identified the woman as Svetlana Dali, who was returned to New York on a Delta flight on Wednesday. At least a dozen law enforcement officers from various agencies waited for her at the gate.<br/>The stowaway didn’t have a boarding pass but completed a security screening and bypassed identity verification and boarding status stations to board a Delta Air Lines aircraft the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, according to the TSA. The woman did go through carry-on baggage screening where the TSA said its officers found two bottles of water. She was eventually arrested when the plane touched down in France. “Maybe this is one incredibly lucky thing that happened because the system is blinking red,” Schiavo said in an interview. “Everyone knows the threats are out there and the TSA just failed horribly, as did Delta Air Lines. So if people approach this properly, this could be the wake-up call that we need to keep flyers and the people over whose heads we fly safe.”<br/>
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Middle Eastern carrier Saudia is entering a maintenance partnership with Air France-KLM which will focus on engine work. The two sides will explore a joint venture for GE Aerospace GEnx engines which power Boeing 787s. Under the pact Saudia envisions awarding at least 50% of GE Aerospace GE90 work to Air France-KLM, in exchange for localisation of processes. Saudia will handle module assembly and disassembly of GE90s which are fitted to Boeing 777s in its fleet. The airline already has maintenance capabilities including servicing of CFM International Leap-1A engines for Airbus A320neo-family jets. Saudia reached the agreement – the subject of a memorandum of understanding – during a visit to Saudi Arabia by French president Emmanuel Macron. “We see a mutual interest in expanding our commercial co-operation and pooling our expertise, notably in the strategic MRO activity,” says Air France-KLM Group chief Ben Smith. He says the pact will “unlock additional opportunities” in Saudi Arabia and the region. Saudia Group director general Ibrahim Al-Omar says the deal demonstrates “commitment” to advancing the kingdom’s aviation industry, in line with the government’s Vision 2030 economic programme. Both Air France-KLM and Saudia are members of the SkyTeam alliance and the co-operation also covers enhancement of reciprocal codeshares.<br/>