A former Air Canada flight attendant is in jail in Hawaii after allegedly scamming at least four airlines (including his former employer) out of free flights by posing as a deadheading pilot or other airline employee. Dallas Pokornik, who is Canadian, was extradited from Panama to face charges in Honolulu for flights on Hawaiian Airlines, but he is also alleged to have hopped on American, United, and Air Canada flights using fake ID and other forms of deception. Some of Pokornik’s forays into the wild blue yonder included jump seat trips while pretending to be a pilot. Prosecutors allege he’s been globetrotting for four years for free.
According to Beat of Hawaii, Pokornik used lessons learned during his two years as a flight attendant for Air Canada to exploit vulnerabilities in the back end systems of airlines used to accommodate employee travel. Central to that system is the Cockpit Access Security System, which is used to verify employee identity. But that system relies heavily on other staff management systems that may not be as carefully updated and maintained, the publication said. Pokornik apparently did not hack into any systems or perform any other technical wizardry but simply charmed his way to the best seats on the plane. He appeared in court on Tuesday and is being held without bail because, you guessed it, he’s considered a flight risk.
Ya, I always wondered about those flight attendants!
Someone who is not even a former employee (he did this on multiple airlines) getting into the jump seat for a flight is a huge breach of security, and a bit concerning.
after 9/11 and the 2 pilot cockpit, when somebody had to go to the can, you needed somebody to come up and babysit the remaining pilot. Not to make sure the remaining pilot didn’t do something stupid, like was said after the Germanwings flight, but to look thru the peephole and open the door when it was time for the returning pilot to come back up.
I was fortunate that I knew most of the flight attendants I flew with, but I have to admit I was never really comfortable with someone I did not know.
“Considered a Flight Risk”–Russ–you win the “Pun of the Day” award! (laugh)
Catch me if you can!
Just what I was thinking.