Derrick M. Collins reported that a Canadian man posed as both a commercial pilot and a working flight attendant to obtain hundreds of free flights from U.S. airlines over a four-year span.
At a Glance
- Dallas Pokornik, 33, of Toronto, flew free on three major U.S. carriers using fake crew credentials
- He requested cockpit jump-seat access typically reserved for off-duty pilots
- The scheme lasted from 2019 through 2023
- Why it matters: The breach exposes gaps in airline employee-verification systems
Authorities arrested Pokornik in Panama after a federal grand jury in Hawaii indicted him on wire-fraud charges last October. He pleaded not guilty Tuesday following extradition to the United States and was ordered held without bond by a U.S. magistrate judge.
How the Scheme Worked
Court documents outline a methodical fraud that began while Pokornik was legitimately employed. He worked as a flight attendant for a Toronto-based airline from 2017 to 2019, then leveraged that experience to create fake credentials.
- After leaving the Toronto carrier, Pokornik printed counterfeit employee ID cards bearing its logo
- He used those IDs to book space-available tickets reserved for off-duty crew on three other airlines
- He targeted carriers based in Honolulu, Chicago, and Fort Worth, Texas
- Over four years he took “hundreds” of flights without paying, prosecutors said
The indictment does not name the three U.S. airlines, but Hawaiian Airlines, United Airlines, and American Airlines are respectively headquartered in the cities listed.
Cockpit Access Request
Prosecutors said Pokornik went beyond free travel and asked to sit in the cockpit jump seat, a fold-down seat used by off-duty pilots. Court filings do not confirm whether he ever occupied that seat during flight; the U.S. Attorney’s Office declined to elaborate.
Airline Response
Representatives for Hawaiian Airlines, United Airlines, and American Airlines did not immediately reply to emails from Derrick M. Collins seeking comment.
The Toronto-based airline that employed Pokornik is also unnamed. Air Canada-whose primary hub is Toronto-stated Wednesday it has no employment record for anyone named Pokornik.
Legal Proceedings
Pokornik faces multiple counts of wire fraud tied to each ticket he obtained. Each count carries a maximum 20-year prison sentence, though actual penalties typically fall well below the statutory maximum.
His federal defender declined to comment after Tuesday’s hearing. A trial date has not been set.
Earlier Incident
The case evokes memories of the 2002 film Catch Me If You Can, in which con artist Frank Abagnale poses as a pilot to travel free. A more recent aviation breach occurred in 2023, when off-duty pilot Joseph Emerson riding in an Alaska Airlines cockpit jump seat tried to cut the engines mid-flight. Emerson later attributed his actions to depression and was sentenced to time served last November.
Key Takeaways
- Pokornik’s alleged fraud relied on forged airline ID cards and lax gate checks
- Airlines issue space-available passes to crew from other carriers under reciprocal agreements
- The indictment covers activity from 2019 through 2023
- Prosecutors have not disclosed the total monetary loss to the airlines
News Of Fort Worth first reported the indictment after reviewing federal court filings in Hawaii.
