Southwest Airlines Flight 2094 departed Nashville International Airport at 7:15 p.m. on Friday, March 6, en route to Fort Lauderdale, Florida and was diverted to Atlanta after a passenger allegedly threatened to blow up the aircraft.
Video posted on social media shows passengers with their hands raised and heads lowered as law enforcement enters the aircraft and removes one passenger.
Half an hour into the flight, Southwest said passenger set a timer on his phone to mark prayer time during Ramadan, the holiest month in the Islamic calendar and a “possible security matter” began. “They came over the loudspeaker, instructing passengers to put their heads down and hands up,” a passenger told local news. “We didn’t know if it was something mechanical, something medical,” another passenger told the outlet. Others said flight attendants began running up and down the aisle appearing concerned before making the announcement.
Armed law enforcement officers boarded the plane after landing. “The first time I at least knew that there was someone dangerous on the plane was when the SWAT team came on and started yelling at us, and it was a little annoying not knowing what was happening until we were getting kind of held at gunpoint,” the witness said. Officers removed one passenger.
The rest of the passengers then deplaned in Atlanta and K-9 teams inspected each bag. Travelers then had to wait several hours before boarding a different flight, eventually arriving in Fort Lauderdale just before 3:30 a.m. Saturday.