3 aircraft violate airspace near Trump's estate, F-16 jets scrambled
What's the story
The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) scrambled F-16 fighter jets on Sunday to intercept three civilian aircraft that violated the airspace above US President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida. The incidents took place at 11:05am 12:10pm and 12:50pm local time. During the interception of two of these aircraft, the F-16 jets deployed flares.
Safe escort
NORAD ensures safe exit of civilian aircraft
NORAD confirmed that all three civilian aircraft were safely escorted out of the restricted airspace. The command further clarified that the flares used during interception are "employed with the highest regard for safety, burn out quickly and completely, and pose no danger to people on the ground." The reasons behind these airspace breaches remain unclear.
Recurring incidents
Recent weeks witness frequent airspace violations
These incidents aren't isolated as similar airspace violations have been reported frequently in recent weeks. During Trump's previous visit to Mar-a-Lago last month, there were three airspace violations on February 15 and Presidents Day, on February 17. Another incident was reported on February 18 when a civilian aircraft improperly flew over Palm Beach.
Flight restrictions
Temporary flight restrictions enforced during Trump's visits
Temporary flight restrictions are imposed around Mar-a-Lago whenever Trump visits, according to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) guidelines. The restrictions prevent unauthorized aircraft and drones from operating in certain areas. Separately, Trump said that boxes of classified documents seized by the FBI from his Mar-a-Lago home have been returned to him. The documents were part of an investigation into possible misconduct in 2022.