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Spirit Airlines plane redirected by ATC after nearing Air Force One with Trump aboard

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Spirit Airlines plane redirected by ATC after nearing Air Force One with Trump aboard
Policy
Webp davis
Dave Davis, Spirit’s President and Chief Executive Officer | Spirit Airlines

A Spirit Airlines Airbus A321 operating flight NK1300 from Fort Lauderdale to Boston was instructed by air traffic control (ATC) to alter its course while flying over Long Island. The directive came as the aircraft approached within 11 miles of Air Force One, which was carrying President Donald Trump to the United Kingdom for a state visit.

The Spirit Airlines flight departed Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport at 08:10 and followed a coastal route northward. Near the end of its journey, ATC intervened as the commercial jet neared the Boeing VC-25A transporting President Trump. According to CBS News, the two planes were closest at an 11-mile separation.

Controllers repeatedly told the Spirit crew to turn away from Air Force One, expressing increasing urgency. After compliance, ATC reportedly admonished the pilots with remarks including "pay attention [and] get off the iPad." Bloomberg also reported on ATC's frustration during the incident.

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A spokesperson for Spirit Airlines stated: "Safety is always our top priority. Spirit Airlines flight 1300 followed procedures and Air Traffic Control instructions while en route to Boston and landed uneventfully."

President Trump's journey began at Joint Base Andrews at 09:57 local time, with Air Force One landing at London Stansted Airport at 21:07 local time. The close encounter between Air Force One and Spirit's A321 occurred early in the transatlantic trip.

Despite urgent communications from controllers, both CBS and Bloomberg confirmed that safety guidelines were not breached during the event. Federal Aviation Administration standards indicate that while closer proximity is undesirable, it did not constitute an unsafe distance in this case.

Tracking data shows that NK1300 made a prescribed turn over Long Beach near New York City during descent from 37,000 feet. The aircraft landed safely at Boston Logan International Airport at 11:03 local time, ten minutes ahead of schedule.

After this incident, the same Airbus A321-200 (registration N687NK) completed three additional flights without issue.

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