A Former Flight Attendant Posed as a Pilot to Obtain Free Flights
A former flight attendant for a Canadian airline, Dallas Pokornik, was arrested in Panama for posing as a commercial pilot and a current flight attendant to fraudulently obtain hundreds of free flights from US airlines. He was indicted on wire fraud charges in federal court in Hawaii and pleaded not guilty following his extradition.
Court documents revealed that Pokornik used fake employee identification from his former airline to access tickets reserved for pilots and flight attendants on other airlines. He even requested to sit in the cockpit’s jump seat, typically reserved for off-duty pilots.
The scheme lasted four years, with Pokornik’s activities involving airlines based in Honolulu, Chicago, and Fort Worth, Texas. Representatives from Hawaiian Airlines, United Airlines, American Airlines, and Air Canada did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
While it’s unclear if Pokornik ever actually sat in a plane’s cockpit, his actions bear similarities to the infamous “Catch Me If You Can” story, where Leonardo DiCaprio’s character poses as a pilot to defraud airlines.
US prosecutors in Hawaii stated that Pokornik will remain in custody, and his federal defender declined to comment. This incident serves as a reminder of the importance of airline security and the potential risks posed by individuals attempting to exploit loopholes in the system.
