WASHINGTON - AIRTRAN Airlines says nine Muslim passengers were removed from a flight from Washington, D.C., to Florida after other passengers reported hearing a suspicious remark.

An AirTran spokesman says there was a misunderstanding. The Muslim passengers say AirTran wouldn't rebook them Thursday and they had to pay for seats on another airline.

Passenger Kashif Irfan tells The Washington Post in a story published on Friday that the confusion began when his brother remarked aloud that the plane's jets were next to his window.

Two other passengers reported hearing what they considered to be a suspicious remark.

AirTran spokesman Tad Hutcheson says the airline strictly followed federal rules.

Federal officials ordered all 104 passengers off the plane and re-screened them before allowing the flight to depart. -- AP