Southwest flight forced to divert to Atlanta, no credible threat found: FBI

A Southwest Airlines flight was diverted Friday night following a mid-air security threat that led to a passenger being removed from the aircraft. After investigation, no credible threat was found, according to the FBI.

Southwest Airlines Flight 2094, which was traveling from Nashville to Fort Lauderdale, was forced to land in Atlanta on Friday after the incident. The plane was diverted from its original route and landed at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport around 9:06 pm over what Southwest called a “possible security matter.” The airlines also said that the Atlanta Police Department removed a specific passenger from the aircraft after it landed.

After the passenger was interviewed, agents with the FBI determined that there was no credible threat on the aircraft and no charges will be filed.

"Southwest Airlines Flight 2094 landed safely at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) Friday evening after diverting to respond to a possible security matter," a spokesperson for the airline said. "We appreciate the professionalism of our Flight Crew and apologize to our Customers for the delay. Nothing is more important to Southwest than the Safety of its Customers and Employees."

Video recorded by a passenger and posted on social media showed armed officers in tactical gear boarding the aircraft with weapons drawn and ordering passengers to keep their heads down. The video posted on TikTok captioned the incident a “bomb threat.” The officers were also seen instructing passengers to raise their hands in the air as they carried out their response.

Passengers later boarded another aircraft and were eventually taken to Fort Lauderdale. Southwest said it apologized to customers for the disruption.