Southwest flight diverted to Atlanta after passenger’s Ramadan prayer timer set off alarm
The passengers on the plane are clasping their hands above their heads. Law enforcement officers are entering together after the plane has circled. One passenger was removed from the flight.
A dramatic scene was witnessed aboard a Southwest Airlines flight from Nashville to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The plane was forced to divert to Atlanta on Friday after receiving a report of suspicious behaviour from a passenger.
How did the tense scenes emerge in the air?
Less than an hour after takeoff from Nashville, passengers reported CBS Evening News: The flight attendants suddenly started running through the aisle. Shortly afterward, the captain informed passengers that the plane would have to make an emergency landing at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
The Southwest flight’s passengers reported that they received instructions to prepare for landing when the plane diverted to Atlanta late Friday.
Passenger Sarah Porter told the CBS Evening News that the situation initially confused many on the flight. “The first time we realised there might be a dangerous person onboard was when a team boarded the plane with guns,” he said.
A Southwest flight travelling from Nashville to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, was forced to make an emergency landing in Atlanta on Friday due to suspicious behaviour by a passenger.
Why was the plane’s route changed?
According to communications with Air Traffic Control, the captain reported that a person on board the aircraft was behaving in a worrying manner. “They had timers going off every 10 minutes, foreign languages, and were worrying about their bags,” the captain said.
Video from the scene shows officers boarding the plane and disembarking a passenger.
What did the FBI say?
In a statement, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the primary domestic intelligence and law enforcement agency under the US Justice Department, said agents with the Atlanta Police Department (APD) questioned the man after he landed. Authorities determined there was no credible threat and no charges would be filed.
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Another passenger, Julie Porter, speaking to CBS Evening News, said the situation is unsettling but understandable. “Given everything that’s going on in the world right now, I think you can’t be too careful in situations like this,” he said.
The airline dials all passengers
A Southwest Airlines spokesperson said passengers were rebooked to their intended destinations and the airline apologised for the disruption caused by the diversion.
According to NBC 6 South Florida, Southwest Airlines provided the following statement:
“For background information, Atlanta Police removed the customer in question. Customers were reaccommodated on another aircraft (same flight number, 2094) and continued on to Ft. Lauderdale, arriving just before 3:30 a.m. We have contacted all customers to apologise for the situation.”
Probably at the center of the incident is the Ramadan prayer timer
NBC 6 South Florida: It was reported that Southwest Airlines Flight 2094 was diverted to Atlanta due to a misunderstanding regarding a passenger’s ‘Ramadan prayer routine’. “NBC News has confirmed that the incident was a misunderstanding and that the passenger had set a timer on his phone so he could pray for Ramadan,” the report said.
