A string of airline security scares over the weekend left passengers across several U.S. cities on edge, prompting emergency responses, flight diversions, and terminal evacuations before authorities ultimately determined there were no credible threats.
According to Fox News, the most dramatic incident unfolded Friday night aboard a Southwest Airlines flight that departed Nashville International Airport bound for Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Midway through the trip, passengers were suddenly instructed to assume a defensive position inside the cabin.
“They came over the loudspeaker, instructing passengers to put their heads down and hands up,” passenger Sarah Porter told WKRN.
The flight crew reported a disturbance involving a passenger, prompting the aircraft to divert to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. The plane landed around 9 p.m., and law enforcement prepared to board.
Passengers said the situation became alarming when armed officers entered the aircraft.
“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,” Porter said.
Video shared on social media showed travelers seated with their hands raised as officers moved through the cabin and removed a passenger.
According to reports, the incident began when a traveler set a timer on his phone to mark prayer time during Ramadan.Â
Authorities later said the behavior was misunderstood as a possible threat.
Porter said passengers remained on the tarmac for more than an hour before police took action.
“I feel like it was a little maybe dangerous having us sit with that guy for an hour-and-a-half before they detained him,” she said.
Once the aircraft was cleared, passengers disembarked while K-9 units searched luggage. After hours of waiting, travelers boarded another flight and eventually arrived in Fort Lauderdale early Saturday morning.
Federal investigators later concluded there was “no credible threat,” and the passenger will not face charges.
Southwest Airlines said the diversion occurred “out of an abundance of caution due to what turned out to be a misunderstanding of a Customer’s behavior.”
“We appreciate the professionalism of our Flight Crew and sincerely apologize to our Customers for the significant delay,” the airline added.
Another security alert unfolded Sunday at Kansas City International Airport, where authorities evacuated sections of the terminal and a nearby parking garage after receiving a call about a potential device.
Police and the FBI responded while inbound aircraft were temporarily held away from gates. A K-9 sweep of the garage flagged a vehicle as suspicious, prompting a response from bomb investigators.
After roughly two hours, officials determined the threat was not credible and normal airport operations resumed later that afternoon.
“It was determined that the threat received was not credible,” the FBI said in a statement.
