A man was arrested over the weekend after allegedly issuing a bomb threat on an Allegiant Air flight. The arrest took place on Sunday, and the individual faces charges related to providing false information and making threats.
The suspect, Taj Malik Taylor, 27, of Largo, Florida, reportedly informed another passenger on Allegiant Air flight 1023, traveling to Roanoke, Virginia, that he had a bomb in his laptop, as per the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office. The flight originated from St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport (PIE) and returned shortly after the alleged incident.
“The passenger immediately notified the flight attendants,” stated the sheriff’s office. “Detectives report that several other people on board also heard Taylor claim he had a bomb.”
A mugshot of Taj Malik Taylor taken on Jul. 6, 2025. (Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office)
The affidavit says that Taylor, “knowing the information to be false, willfully and maliciously with reckless disregard for the safety of human life, gave, under circumstances in which the information may have reasonably believed, false information about an alleged attempt being made to do an act… specifically, possession on or about the defendant’s person an explosive device…”
According to the affidavit, Taylor told investigators that he made the comments after a passenger was rude to him, and said that he was recently released from a mental health facility. He said he had taken medication on Saturday, the day before the alleged threat, and was “suffering from a lack of clarity.”
Taylor appeared in court Monday morning, according to the FBI. It is unclear whether he has an attorney.
A Coast Guard plane on the tarmac at St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport with Allegiant Air planes in the background. (FAA)
“Allegiant does not tolerate disruptive behavior of any kind, so the decision was made to return to the airport,” the airline told Fox News Digital in a statement. “The plane landed safely and was met by law enforcement officers, who took the passenger into custody.”
“We apologize for the inconvenience this has caused our passengers and thank them for their patience. As a gesture of goodwill, we issued $100 vouchers to each itinerary, to be used for future travel.”
Fox News Digital reached out to Taylor.
