Southwest flight diverted to Atlanta after passenger’s Ramadan prayer timer sparks alarm
4 min readMar 8, 2026 05:58 PM IST
Flight passengers with their hands above their heads. Law enforcement officers entering in tandem after the plane made a detour. One passenger being taken off the flight.
Dramatic scenes were witnessed on a Southwest Airlines flight that was traveling from Nashville to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The flight was forced to divert to Atlanta on Friday after a passenger was reported to be behaving suspiciously.
How did the tense scenes unfold in the air
Less than an hour after takeoff from Nashville, passengers told CBS Evening News that flight attendants suddenly began rushing through the aisles. Shortly afterward, the captain informed passengers that the aircraft would have to make an emergency landing at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Atlanta.
Passengers on board the Southwest flight said they were asked to prepare for landing as the plane was redirected to Atlanta late Friday night.
One passenger, Sarah Porter told CBS Evening News that many people on the flight were initially confused about what was happening. “The first time we realized there might be someone dangerous on the plane was when a team boarded with guns drawn,” she said.
A Southwest flight traveling from Nashville to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, was forced to make an emergency landing in Atlanta on Friday due to a passenger acting suspiciously. pic.twitter.com/WRh6JBJ7U3
— CBS Evening News with Tony Dokoupil (@CBSEveningNews) March 8, 2026
Why was the plane diverted
According to communications with Air Traffic Control, the captain reported that a man on board was acting in a concerning manner. “He had a timer going off every 10 minutes, foreign languages, worried about his bags,” the captain said.
Video from the scene shows officers boarding the plane and escorting a passenger off the aircraft.
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 Department of Justice, said that agents along with the Atlanta Police Department (APD) questioned the individual after landing. Authorities determined there was no credible threat and no charges will be filed.
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Another passenger, Julie Porter, while talking to CBS Evening News said the situation was unsettling but understandable. “With everything happening in the world right now, I feel like you can’t be too careful in situations like this,” she said.
Airline dials all passengers
A spokesperson for Southwest Airlines said passengers were rebooked to continue to their intended destinations and the airline apologised for the disruption caused by the diversion.
Accoding to NBC 6 South Florida, Southwest Airlines provided the following statement:
“For background, the customer in question was removed by the Atlanta police, in case you want to check with them for additional details. 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 reached out to all of the customers to apologise for the situation.”
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Ramadan prayer timer likely at centre of incident
NBC 6 South Florida reported that Southwest Airlines Flight 2094 was diverted to Atlanta due to a misunderstanding involving a passenger’s ‘Ramadan prayer routine’. “NBC News confirmed that the incident was a misunderstanding, and that the passenger had set a timer on his phone so that he can pray for Ramadan”, the report said.
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