A Southwest Airlines flight heading to South Florida was diverted overnight after what the airline later described as a “misunderstanding” involving a phone timer set by a passenger for Ramadan prayer.
The incident occurred on Friday aboard Southwest Airlines flight 2094 that was en route to Fort Lauderdale before it was diverted to Atlanta airport in Georgia.
A spokesperson for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) told Newsweek that the flight was diverted after a disturbance occurred during the flight.
A spokesperson for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in Atlanta told Newsweek: “The FBI and APD [Atlanta Police Department] have investigated and interviewed the person. There was no credible threat, and no charges will be filed.”
In a statement, Southwest Airlines said the flight was diverted “out of an abundance of caution,” according to Florida’s NBC6.
Newsweek has contacted Southwest Airlines for further comment via email.
Why It Matters
The diversion highlights how misunderstandings involving cultural or religious practices can escalate into significant security responses during air travel, disrupting flights and affecting passengers.
What To Know
An FAA spokesperson told Newsweek: “Southwest Airlines Flight 2094 landed safely at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport around 9 p.m. local time on Friday, March 6, after the crew reported a passenger disturbance. The flight departed from Nashville International Airport and was traveling to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.”
The incident involved a passenger who had set a timer on his phone so that he could pray for Ramadan, the holiest month of the Islamic calendar, reported NBC News.
A video circulating on social media appears to show a law enforcement officer instructing passengers to put their hands up before a man was removed from the aircraft.
Southwest Airlines later issued a statement addressing the diversion, saying: “The Southwest Airlines Crew of Flight 2094 on Friday made the decision to divert to Atlanta out of an abundance of caution due to what turned out to be a misunderstanding of a customer’s behavior.”
The statement added: “We sincerely apologize to our customers for the misunderstanding and the significant delay. Nothing is more important to Southwest than the safety of our customers.”
What People Are Saying
The incident has drawn attention on social media, prompting discussion about how the situation unfolded and how the misunderstanding was handled on board the flight.
Grammy Award-winning musician Sheila E. simply said, “Jesus,” in a comment on Instagram.
Model Cheyenne Jones commented: “I wouldn’t go on that airline ever again.”
Artist Lina Valentina posted, “I really thought the pilot was about to prank them with some song and dance humor and I kept thinking to myself hmm which song starts with those lyrics…jokes on me,” in a comment on Instagram.
Hair stylist Jessica Gemma said, “The chanting [on the plane] is pissing me off for some reason,” in a comment on Instagram.
