Flight Makes Emergency Landing After Passenger Claims Laptop Is a Bomb

Image: Allegiant Airbus A320. (Photo Credit: Rlguess/Wirestock Creators/Adobe)

by Patrick Clarke
Last updated: 12:55 PM ET, Mon July 7, 2025

The FBI has launched an investigation after a bomb threat forced an Allegiant Air flight to make an emergency landing in Florida over the weekend.

According to FOX 13 News, officers from the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office arrested 27-year-old Taj Taylor after he allegedly told other passengers that his laptop was a bomb.

Witnesses reported the incident to flight attendants, prompting the Roanoke, Virginia-bound flight to return to St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport shortly after 2 p.m. local time on Sunday.

K9s searched the man's belongings, but no bomb was found.

The FBI is now leading the investigation into the incident, the news outlet reported.

The alleged threat comes just days after a Dallas-bound American Airlines flight was forced to return to San Juan, Puerto Rico, after a passenger misinterpreted a "R.I.P." text message received by a fellow traveler.

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Patrick Clarke

Senior Editor

A Maryland native and wanderer who has lived across the U.S. from North Carolina to SoCal, Patrick Clarke graduated from Towson University with a B.S. in journalism. He previously worked for Bleacher