 "The Trumps were on their way to the United Kingdom for a second state visit when the incident took place. Reuters")
Air traffic controllers reportedly ‘scolded’ the pilots of a Spirit Airlines flight after warning them for getting too close to Donald Trump’s Air Force One over Long Island.
Spirit Airlines Flight 1300, an Airbus A321 travelling from Fort Lauderdale to Boston, came near Air Force One, a Boeing 747 carrying Donald Trump and Melania Trump as they were on their way to the United Kingdom for a state visit.
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The New York-based controller was heard telling the pilots to “pay attention” and “get off the iPad”.
So, what actually happened in the air? How close did the two planes come to each other? And what exactly did the controller tell the pilots?
Let’s take a look:
What happened?
The two aircraft were flying parallel over Long Island in New York.
Air Force One was flying Donald Trump and Melania Trump to the United Kingdom, while Spirit Airlines Flight 1300 was flying passengers from Fort Lauderdale to Boston Logan International Airport.
The Spirit Airlines flight was about 11 miles (17.7 km) away from Air Force One when its pilot changed course to avoid crossing paths, according to The New York Times.
Data from Flightradar24 showed the closest the two planes got was eight miles (nearly 12.9 km) apart laterally.
Notably, they were never close enough to be considered unsafe by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), but the distance was still enough to raise concerns.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsPassenger planes must maintain at least 1.5 miles (about 2.4 km) of lateral separation and 500 feet of vertical separation.
The FAA later said, “Preliminary investigation shows aircraft maintained the required separation.”
Audio of the exchange went viral on X, likely because it involved the president’s plane.
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What did air traffic controller tell the pilots?
“Spirit 1300 turn 20 degrees right,” an air traffic controller said, CBS News reported citing recordings from liveatc.net.
“Pay attention, Spirit 1300 turn 20 degrees right. Spirit 1300 turn 20 degrees right, now. Spirit wings 1300 turn 20 degrees right, immediately.”
The Spirit Airlines pilots confirmed the message, though their replies were hard to hear because of static.
The controller then said, “Pay attention. Spirit 1300 traffic off your left wing by six mi— or eight miles, 747. I’m sure you can see who it is. … Keep an eye out for him, he’s white and blue”, referring to the colours of the president’s aircraft.
Sounding frustrated, the controller further said, “Pay attention! Get off the iPad.”
Notably, pilots often use tablets in the cockpit as an “electronic flight bag” to access maps, calculations, and other information.
Bloomberg reported that Air Force One was never in real danger despite the tense exchange.
The Spirit Airlines flight continued without further issues and landed safely in Boston.
The encounter was first spotted by the account JonNYC on Bluesky.
What did Spirit Airlines say?
A Spirit Airlines spokesperson told CBS News after the incident that “safety is always our top priority.”
“Spirit Airlines Flight 1300 followed procedures and Air Traffic Control (ATC) instructions while en route to Boston and landed uneventfully (in Boston),” the spokesperson said.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) also said in a statement that it was “aware of social media posts about Air Force One and a Spirit Airlines flight in Boston airspace,” adding that both planes kept the required separation.
Where was Trump going?
The Trumps were on their way to the United Kingdom for a second state visit when the incident took place.
No US President or any other world leader has ever been invited for a second state visit to the UK. Donald Trump’s first was in 2019 during his earlier term.
The visit began with Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales, meeting the presidential helicopter in the private Walled Garden at the Windsor estate, then walking Trump and Melania over to be received by Charles III and Queen Camilla.
With inputs from agencies