Latest news with #St.Pete-ClearwaterInternationalAirport
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- Yahoo
Allegiant flight attendant finds bomb threat just before St. Pete-Clearwater International departure: Sheriff
The Brief Allegiant passengers were deplaned at St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport after a written bomb threat was found on a flight departing for Cincinnati. A flight attendant found the bomb threat written on a lavatory door and immediately notified the pilot, who stopped the plane on the runway. Pinellas Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said no evidence of explosive devices was found during their search of planes at the airport. CLEARWATER, Fla. - Allegiant passengers onboard a flight that was supposed to head out of St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport Friday evening was quickly deplaned after the crew found a written bomb threat. The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office quickly swarmed the airport after the threat was reported by crew members on that Allegiant Air flight. They said the flight landed at the airport about two hours prior to the incident from Cincinnati and was scheduled to depart PIE to head back to Cincinnati that same evening with about 70 passengers. READ:Scammer pretending to be Keanu Reeves bilks Bay Area woman out of $160K: Documents Timeline As the flight was taxiing to the runway, preparing for its departure, a flight attendant onboard opened the plane's rear lavatory door and found a written bomb threat. That's when the flight attendant notified the pilot, who immediately stopped the plane and helped work to evacuate passengers, according to investigators. Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said during a news conference after the incident on Friday that the threat was "very broad" and wasn't limited to the particular plane, and included all Allegiant planes at the airport. Because of that, authorities said they secured all six aircrafts and began getting all passengers off the planes and clearing them. PCSO's bomb dogs were also out and searching all the planes. Follow FOX 13 on YouTube Big picture view Gualtieri said that deputies did not find any evidence of explosive devices on any of the planes. Gualtieri said detectives are interviewing passengers that were on the plane with a written threat. The sheriff didn't go into detail about any suspect they may have or who may be responsible for the threat. PCSO is still in the early stages of their investigation, but no injuries were reported during the security incident, according to officials. CRIME: Luigi Mangione pleads not guilty to federal murder charge What they're saying A spokesperson for Allegiant Air released the following statement about the incident: "On 4/25/2025, Flight 2006, scheduled to depart St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport (PIE) at 3:59 p.m. local time bound for Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG), was delayed due to a possible security issue. The safety of our passengers and crew is always our priority. Because this is an active investigation, we must defer to law enforcement for additional information." All planes were grounded for several hours, but the airport has since resumed normal operations. The Source The information in this story was gathered during a news conference held Friday evening. It also includes details from Allegiant Air and the FAA. WATCH FOX 13 NEWS: STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA: Download the FOX Local app for your smart TV Download FOX Local mobile app: Apple | Android Download the FOX 13 News app for breaking news alerts, latest headlines Download the SkyTower Radar app Sign up for FOX 13's daily newsletter Follow FOX 13 on YouTube
Hindustan Times
25-04-2025
- Hindustan Times
Allegiant flight bomb threat at St. Pete-Clearwater Airport: List of flights delayed, canceled
Passengers onboard an Allegiant aircraft at St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport were evacuated after a bomb threat, according to the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office. Officials at the scene said they are investigating the incident. No injuries have been reported yet. Allegiant Air Flight 2608, Louisville, KY, 04/26/25, 12:31 AM, Delayed Allegiant Air Flight 1011, Huntington, WV, 04/26/25, 12:46 AM, Delayed Allegiant Air Flight 2716, Omaha, NE, 04/26/25, 01:02 AM, Delayed Allegiant Air Flight 1077, Evansville, IN, 04/26/25, 01:08 AM, Delayed Allegiant Air Flight 974, Albany, NY, 04/26/25, 01:09 AM, Delayed Allegiant Air Flight 991, Asheville, NC, 04/26/25, 01:23 AM, Delayed
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Yahoo
Pinellas hospitality industry welcoming Spring Break visitors after devastating hurricanes
The Brief Spring Break visitors are a welcomed sight this year after back-to-back hurricanes. St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport also had a record-breaking February with almost 195,000 passengers coming in and out of the airport. Clearwater's mayor said they're hoping to have the city's best spring break after everything that the hospitality industry has been through. CLEARWATER, Fla. - Many vacationers are already in town enjoying our piece of paradise during their spring break. It comes after a record-breaking February for St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport. Almost 195,000 passengers flew in or out of the airport. Visitors are a welcomed sight every spring break, but especially this year after back-to-back hurricanes, hospitality workers said. READ:Caspersen Beach has long road to recovery after 2024 hurricane season: 'It won't stop me from coming' Local perspective "Spring break this year, especially for the staff, it's a big deal," Steven Bilbrey, the general manager of Clear Sky Café, said. The restaurant just reopened last month. Hurricane Helene flooded the restaurant with two to three feet of water, he said. "It was devastating. We were shut down for some period, I guess close to five months… that's a long time to have your staff not working," Bilbrey said. Follow FOX 13 on YouTube He said they're still fixing some things, but are grateful to be reopened for spring break. "We got such a great, great, great staff. Really. That's the best thing. That has kept us going. Just be patient because we still are doing some construction work. We're not quite finished yet," he said. What they're saying Chris Tiemeier, the general manager of Frenchy's Rockaway Grill, said their parking lot right on the beach just reopened last week. The restaurant reopened at the end of last year. "That was huge," he said about the parking lot reopening. "That was a big, big mess for a long time. So, now it's starting to feel like kind of the normal insanity instead of the other insanity." MORE: Manatee County running out of time to prepare for 2025 hurricane season, experts say "Everybody's been supportive of everybody else. The businesses are kind of welcoming each other back open and all that, and it couldn't be a better time of year to get it going," Tiemeier said. "I think everyone coming down here is just happy that things are open and surprised to some extent. I mean, it seemed like it was going to take a lot longer. So, I think we were able to get everything back together. The city did a good job about getting everything cleaned up. So, everybody's just really happy to be back. And, you know, if there's still a hole in the wall or a TV's missing, there's, you know, it doesn't really matter." Dig deeper Clearwater Mayor Bruce Rector said they're hoping to have Clearwater's best spring break ever after everything that everyone, especially those in the hospitality industry, have been through over the past six months. "A successful spring break will allow families working in that industry an opportunity to recover and restore their income to normalcy after two devastating hurricanes," Rector said. "Some parking is limited right now due to previously planned renovations at the Clearwater Beach Marina. We ask visitors to avoid residential neighborhood areas of the beach as those streets are somewhat narrow and a number of homeowners are still making repairs to their homes. But all of the tourist areas of the beach are now fully open and accessible," Rector said. Rector said the beach itself is back to normal, and most resorts, restaurants and attractions vacationers love are reopened too. The Source The information in this story was gathered through interviews with those in the hospitality industry in Pinellas County as well as Clearwater's mayor. WATCH FOX 13 NEWS: STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA: Download the FOX Local app for your smart TV Download FOX Local mobile app:Apple |Android Download the FOX 13 News app for breaking news alerts, latest headlines Download the SkyTower Radar app Sign up for FOX 13's daily newsletter
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Will a St. Pete-Clearwater airport shuttle get tourists out of cars?
Tourists arriving at St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport will now have another option for getting to the beach: an airport shuttle to Clearwater Beach, run by Pinellas County's transit agency. It's the first transit option available to people passing through Tampa Bay's secondary airport. The concept sprung from visitor feedback asking for more transit options, said Brad Miller, CEO of the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority. Some of Pinellas' most popular routes appeal to tourists. The SunRunner, an express bus service, ferried more than 55,000 riders in December between downtown St. Petersburg and St. Pete Beach, both tourist hotspots. Beachside trolleys and routes to the beach represented more than a sixth of Pinellas' bus ridership that month. But the launch of another tourist-centered service has some leaders questioning whether that's the right direction for the transit agency. 'It seems that it's another SunRunner,' said Barb Haselden, a citizen appointee to the agency's board. 'It seems like it's... another deterrent from the core business model, which is serving the people of Pinellas County.' The service, called the Grouper, will cost a single rider $8, while groups will pay between $20 and $30 for door-to-door service from the airport to their hotel. In comparison, a single Uber or Lyft ride for the 12-mile route from the airport to the beach typically costs between $30 and $50. Since its soft launch two weeks ago, 79 people have used the Grouper over 34 rides, averaging about two riders per shuttle trip. The goal is to reach 50 to 100 riders per day by next year. St. Pete Beach Mayor Adrian Petrila said in order for the service to get cars off of jammed roadways like the Clearwater Memorial Causeway, multiple families would need to carpool in the shuttle. Otherwise, he said, the service would just divert dollars from local Uber drivers to a subsidized shuttle bus. 'The tourists are already spending money to come here,' Petrila said. 'Why are we subsidizing, with our residents' tax dollars, for your vacation?' Pinellas County commissioners Brian Scott and Kathleen Peters said the service was worth a shot to improve miserable spring break traffic jams as some 4.5 million visitors descend on Pinellas beaches each spring. Max McCann, another citizen appointee to the transit agency board, said he hopes visitors will forego rental cars entirely if they have transit options to and along Clearwater Beach, easing parking shortages on the barrier islands. But for any of those benefits to manifest, more people will need to sign up for the shuttle service. Transit officials are working with Visit St. Pete-Clearwater, the tourism booster, to advertise the service to visitors online before they book a rental car. The Pinellas transit agency has also taken over and expanded the frequency of another tourist-heavy service: the Clearwater Ferry, which before the pandemic moved visitors and residents between downtown Clearwater and the beach. In the last month, more than 1,700 people used the service, already an improvement over pre-pandemic totals. 'Tourism is our No. 1 economic driver in Pinellas County,' Peters said. 'The more we can do to enhance the experience of someone coming into the county helps (make) us... one of the best destinations to come to.'
