Overview
- Frontier Flight 2539, which landed in Atlanta on Sunday, was held at a remote stand after a passenger made a verbal bomb threat while the plane was taxiing to the gate.
- Air traffic control audio captured the pilot reporting that the man in seat 3A threatened to kill the woman next to him and claimed he had a bomb, as flight attendants instructed passengers to put heads down and hands up.
- Atlanta police identified the suspect as Pierre-Saint Richardson, 48, who was arrested, booked into the Clayton County Jail, and charged with making terroristic threats, with officers noting he had outstanding warrants.
- The FBI said there is no continuing threat, is conducting interviews with passengers and crew, and will consult the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Georgia on potential federal charges.
- Coverage differed on how the crew labeled the event, with some reports citing a Level 3 security threat and others a Level 4 alert, terms airlines use for severe unruly behavior and the highest alert that signals concern about a cockpit breach, though police said it was not treated as a hijacking.