(The Hill) — A Spirit Airlines pilot received a warning from air traffic control (ATC) operators on Tuesday for flying in close proximity to Air Force One, the official plane for President Trump.
Spirit flight 1300 was traveling from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport to Boston Logan International Airport. The exchange with ATC took place as the planes flew over Long Island, New York.
“Spirit 1300, turn 20 degrees right, vectors, traffic in descent. Say intentions, Spirit 1300, turn 20 degrees right. Spirit 1300, turn 20 degrees right now. Spirit wings 1300, turn 20 degrees right immediately,” the air traffic controller instructed, according to Boston local news source WCVB.
Once the pilot acknowledged the directive, the controller said to “pay attention.”
“Spirit 1300, traffic is off your left wing by 8 miles, [Boeing] 747. I’m sure you can see who it is,” the controller added, referencing Air Force One.
As per the flight tracking service Flightradar24, both aircraft were moving side by side with an 8-mile separation and were on trajectories that could lead to converging at 11 miles apart, as noted by CBS News.
President Trump, accompanied by first lady Melania Trump, was traveling from Joint Base Andrews in Prince George’s County, Maryland, to London. They landed in the UK on Tuesday evening in preparation for Trump’s engagement with King Charles III and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Wednesday.
“Spirit Airlines flight 1300 (FLL-BOS) followed procedures and Air Traffic Control (ATC) instructions while en route to Boston (BOS) and landed uneventfully at BOS,” a Spirit spokesperson told The Hill. “Safety is always our top priority.”
The Hill has also reached out to the White House and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for comment.
