A Florida evangelist, Whitney Lynn, 40, was removed from an Alaska Airlines flight at Orlando International Airport on Thursday after preaching to fellow passengers. The incident led to her being barred from the airline's flights for the foreseeable future.
Lynn stood in the aisle of the delayed flight bound for San Diego and delivered a sermon that lasted less than a minute. She recorded the event and shared it on Instagram, where it garnered millions of views. In the footage, she told passengers that God's timing might be perfect and suggested divine protection from danger.
According to Lynn, she returned to her seat without being asked to stop. However, an airline employee approached her and stated that the crew no longer felt safe with her on board, leading to her removal from the aircraft. Lynn questioned the decision, referring to the incident as "spiritual warfare" and stating that "demons tremble at the name of Jesus."
She confronted the employee escorting her off the plane, questioning the safety of the "message of Jesus Christ" and whether her "freedom of speech" was being violated. Lynn also claimed that an airline employee pushed her bag and then lied about it, though these allegations have not been independently verified.
After leaving the plane, Lynn spent approximately 40 minutes speaking with police officers at the airport, but no arrests or criminal charges were filed. She later reported converting two individuals to Christianity after continuing her preaching outside the aircraft.
Alaska Airlines confirmed Lynn's removal for safety reasons. "The passenger was asked to deplane the aircraft for safety reasons," an airline spokesperson stated. "For the foreseeable future, the guest will not be permitted to travel on our flights."
Lynn initially arranged to rebook on another flight with the airline but received an email two and a half hours before departure stating she was banned pending an investigation. This ban also extends to flights with Hawaiian Airlines and Horizon Air, affiliated carriers. She received a flight credit but noted it would be unusable due to the travel restriction.
Lynn, who was traveling to California for a follower's funeral, ultimately booked a flight with a different airline. She has described the incident as religious discrimination and an infringement on her First Amendment rights, comparing herself to biblical figures Moses and Esther. Legal experts note that the First Amendment generally applies to government actions, not decisions made by private companies.
Lynn has a history of preaching on flights, telling The Washington Post that she does so on most journeys because passengers "have no choice but to hear the truth." She compares her message to a "life raft" for those in need of salvation. Her Instagram account, which features videos of her sermons in various public spaces, has over 270,000 followers. She described the sermon on the Alaska Airlines flight as one of her "softest messages."