U.S. Air Force fighter jets have intercepted a civilian aircraft that entered a temporarily restricted area near Donald Trump’s residence in Florida, marking over 20 such violations since he assumed office on January 20. The North American Aerospace Defence Command (NORAD) reported that the latest incident occurred as Trump was concluding a round of golf at his West Palm Beach course. F-16 jets were dispatched to deploy flares to alert the civilian pilot.
Another interception happened the previous morning shortly after Trump arrived at the golf course from his Mar-a-Lago estate. Despite the frequent violations in the heavily congested South Florida airspace prompting fighter jet responses, officials noted that these incidents have not disrupted Trump’s activities or compromised his safety.
NORAD indicated that while the deployed flares might be visible from the ground, they burn out quickly and do not pose any danger. The Federal Aviation Administration maintains strict flight restrictions over Trump’s golf club, extending to a radius of 30 nautical miles (about 55 kilometres) whenever the president is present.
While violations and intercepts are fairly common, the alarming frequency of incursions since Trump’s inauguration has raised concerns. NORAD has responded to over 20 incidents, attributing the issue to civilian pilots neglecting to check for airspace restrictions prior to take-off.
General Gregory Guillot, the commander of NORAD and U.S. Northern Command, stressed the importance of adhering to Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFRs) to guarantee both flight safety and national security. He stated these procedures are mandatory and highlighted that the high number of recent TFR breaches suggests that many pilots are not reviewing the Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs) required by the FAA before flying. The consistent failure to comply has necessitated repeated interventions by NORAD fighter jets to redirect those aviation breaches.