'He’s praying in a foreign language': Southwest passenger describes diverted flight

Описание: Passengers on a Southwest Airlines flight from Nashville to Fort Lauderdale experienced tense moments Friday night after a man’s behavior prompted the crew to divert the plane to Atlanta, where a tactical team then boarded and removed him.

The flight, Southwest Airlines Flight 2094, departed Nashville International Airport and was en route to Florida, when passengers say a man began praying aloud while his cellphone alarm repeatedly sounded.

The plane was diverted to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, where law enforcement officers, with guns drawn, boarded the aircraft and escorted the man off.

One passenger, a high school student from Williamson County who asked that his name be kept private, recorded the moments before officers entered the cabin.

“(The man) has a timer going off on his phone every 10 minutes and he’s praying in a foreign language,” the passenger said. “He’s sweating. He keeps asking the flight attendant where his bag is- multiple times.”

A source within Southwest Airlines confirmed the man was praying aloud.

Within about an hour after passengers and crew members became uneasy over the man’s behavior, the pilot decided to divert the flight to Atlanta.

The passenger said the plane taxied to a remote area of the tarmac and was surrounded by emergency vehicles. After more than an hour of waiting, a tactical team with Atlanta police entered the aircraft.

Passengers said officers shouted commands such as “Stand up!” as they approached the man and escorted him off the plane.

Hours later, the Federal Bureau of Investigation said there was no credible threat and no charges would be filed.

Southwest Airlines released a statement reading, "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. 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 and Employees."

A spokesperson for the airline said the company plans to reach out to the passenger who was removed from the plane.

After the incident, passengers waited about two more hours before boarding a different aircraft to get to their final destination. The flight eventually arrived in Fort Lauderdale around 3 a.m.- roughly six hours behind schedule.

https://fox17.com/news/local/hes-pray...
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