St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport was temporarily closed for a few hours on Friday evening due to an unfounded bomb threat, officials said.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, passengers on an Allegiant Airways flight heading to Cincinnati had to be evacuated on the taxiway around 4:30 p.m. due to a security threat.
The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office said that one of the flight attendants found an "explicit" note written on a bathroom door about a bomb threat.
The flight attendant then notified the pilot, who stopped the plane on the runway before evacuating the passengers. The sheriff's office said there were about 170 people on board.
The threat was broad and not limited to that specific plane, Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said at a news conference Friday night. It included all Allegiant planes at the airport.
So, for precaution, officials needed to get passengers off all planes and shut down the airport during the investigation
No one was hurt in the incident, and there was no evidence of an explosive device found during the investigation. Officials said the airport was safe and there was no immediate threat.
Airport officials said at 8:27 p.m. that the airport has reopened.
The sheriff's office said that no one is in custody, but there were people whose actions were suspicious, so the investigation contines.
The agency added that everyone, including the crew, is a suspect at this time.
This is a developing story. WUSF will provide updates once we have them.
