Spirit Airlines has confirmed that the emergency landing of Flight 596 from Fort Lauderdale to Minneapolis was a “misunderstanding” that caused pilots to make an emergency landing at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on Thursday evening after a bomb threat was allegedly made. All 92 passengers were forced to leave the plane, with two men removed from the plane in handcuffs.
No threat was found following a thorough sweep of the aircraft's cabin and cargo.
The “misunderstanding” is reported to have occurred after a phone conversation was overhead in the cabin where girl seated opposite one of the men arrested said she heard a remark about blowing up the plane while he was on the phone, which was relayed to a flight attendant.
Spirit Airlines defended the move as a safety precaution.
"While we never want to divert a flight, concerns for the safety and security of our all of our passengers and crew sometimes call for immediate action," the airline said in a statement. "It requires the best judgment of the crew to make these difficult decisions. The consequences of not acting or responding to a potential threat can be catastrophic once the plane is in the air.