A major airport recently sparked a panic that it may be closing down forever. This comes after several passengers misunderstood a social media post from the organization.
Tampa International Airport announced that it was canceling all its flights forever in a tongue-in-cheek social media post. The only issue is that some people thought the airport was serious. I guess you can't joke as a major institution. The airport's social media team made a post to reflect on the criticism some people have about the lack of destinations they offer.
"We've heard enough. We've had enough," the post began. "'You're not a real airport - you don't have flights to my hometown of 13 people!' Well guess what? We're not an airport at all. Effective immediately, we're no longer Tampa International Airport. Instead, we're giving you exactly what you deserve. We're now just a home for a giant 2-year-old flamingo."
Airport Draw Confusion
Phoebe the Flamingo is a giant statue at the location. They added, "While this may seem sudden, our decision is final. We cannot stand by and be called "not a real airport" when we offer flights to 100 destinations around the world. So, we're cancelling all of them. Forever."
It also added, "Never realize what you have until it's gone." It also wrote, "Forevermore we'll be known just as Giant Flamingo Home."
As you can imagine, travelers were confused and panicked about the announcement.
"Is this real? This feels like the most petty post I've ever read," one person wrote on X.
"I'm confused, I fly to Tampa every year from Pittsburgh when headed to Clearwater. Is it closed?" Another asked.
Things became so confused online that the airport had to clarify that they were joking.
"The airport did not close and is not closing— the goal of the post was to creatively highlight our 100 nonstop destinations and showcase our beloved public art program, with the large flamingo (nicknamed "Phoebe" by the community) being one of its most iconic pieces," a spokeswoman said. "While a small handful of accounts may have misunderstood the humor, the vast majority embraced it in the spirit it was intended."
