A former flight attendant posed as a pilot and received hundreds of free flights, US authorities say

Associated Press (AP)CenterEN 2 min read 100% complete by By JENNIFER SINCO KELLEHERJanuary 21, 2026 at 09:23 AM

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Dallas Pokornik, a former Canadian flight attendant, was arrested in Panama and extradited to Hawaii after being indicted on wire fraud charges. U.S. authorities allege that from 2019 to 2023, Pokornik posed as a commercial pilot and flight attendant using fake employee identification to obtain hundreds of free flights from U.S. airlines based in Honolulu, Chicago, and Fort Worth, Texas. He even allegedly requested to sit in the cockpit jump seat, typically reserved for off-duty pilots. Pokornik pleaded not guilty and remains in custody. The case is reminiscent of the movie "Catch Me If You Can," where the main character posed as a pilot to defraud an airline.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

United Airlines 40% Panama 40% Hawaii ×240% Hawaiian Airlines 40% American Airlines 40% Toronto ×250% Joseph Emerson 50% Air Canada 50% Honolulu ×260% United States ×470% Dallas Pokornik ×690%

Keywords

free flights 90% flight attendant 90% dallas pokornik 80% posed as pilot 80% wire fraud 70% airline employee 60% fraud 60% jump seat 50% extradition 40%