Passenger taken off Delta flight from Miami to Atlanta after refusing to end phone call, officials say

A Delta Air Lines flight from Miami to Atlanta experienced an unexpected delay after officials said a passenger refused to get off the phone before takeoff.

A spokesperson for the airline said the incident occurred on Monday aboard Delta Flight 1323, which was scheduled to depart from Miami International Airport for Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport that afternoon.

According to the spokesperson, crew members repeatedly tried to get a passenger to hang up while the plane was taxiing out.

Instead of ending the call, the spokesperson said that the customer "became disruptive," causing the aircraft to head back to the gate, where they were removed.

The flight took off about an hour after it was scheduled to depart.

"The safety of our customers and crew comes before all else, and Delta has zero tolerance for disruptive behavior," the Delta spokesperson said. "We apologize to our customers for this experience and delay in their travels."