Passenger Removed from Southwest Flight Over Prayer Alarm Misunderstanding

Multiple passengers were removed from a Southwest Airlines flight bound for Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL), Florida, on Friday evening US time, following an incident involving a prayer timer. The aircraft was subsequently diverted to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Georgia from its original destination.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported that Southwest Airlines Flight 2094, which had departed Nashville and was heading to South Florida, was forced to land at Atlanta International Airport following a disturbance on board.

Video footage circulated on social media showed several passengers raising their hands and bowing their heads as law enforcement officers in green uniforms boarded the aircraft and removed a passenger. A man dressed in dark red clothing was reportedly arrested and escorted from the plane alongside several others.

The nature of the alarm—whether it was an Islamic call to prayer or a timer—was initially unclear. However, after the incident went viral, the airline stated it was a misunderstanding. NBC reported that the passenger had set a timer to enable prayer during Ramadan, an allegation that subsequently drew criticism from various parties regarding religious freedom.

Southwest Airlines management released a statement on Flight 2094: “Southwest Airlines crew made the decision to divert the flight to Atlanta as a precautionary measure due to a misunderstanding regarding a customer’s behaviour.”

The airline added: “We sincerely apologise to our customers for the misunderstanding and the significant delays. Nothing is more important to Southwest than our customers’ safety.”