The call to prayer went off on a Muslim passenger’s phone on Friday while he was aboard a Southwest Airline from Nashville to Fort Lauderdale. He quietly switched off the alarm and performed his prayers.
Little did he know the chaos and pandemonium that was to follow his prayers aboard the flight.
CBS Evening News reported 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 realised there might be someone dangerous on the plane was when a team boarded with guns drawn,” she said.
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 told ATC.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) 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.
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.
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”, the report said.
None of the reports interviewed the arrested man, nor any apology made to him.