Two fighter jets intercepted planes violating restricted airspace above President Donald Trump‘s Mar-a-Lago residence in South Florida over the weekend.
The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), a joint air defense force operated by the U.S. and Canada, sent fighter pilots to warn off the civilian planes flying overhead.
Newsweek has contacted NORAD for further comment via email outside standard working hours.
Why It Matters
A temporary no-fly zone is imposed over Mar-a-Lago when the president is at his home in Palm Beach. While security is always tight around a president, Trump’s is likely even tighter as he has recently been the target of assassination attempts.
On Sunday, the Secret Service shot a “suicidal” armed man near the White House.
What To Know
Around 8:50 a.m. on Saturday, a civilian aircraft entered the no-fly zone above Mar-a-Lago, only to be intercepted by NORAD.
On Sunday afternoon, a civilian pilot violated the temporary flight restriction over Trump’s Palm Beach home around 1:15 p.m., NORAD officials said in a press release. Flares were used to capture the pilot’s attention as NORAD’s F-16 jets escorted the aircraft away from the area. Authorities shared details of the incident on X, formerly Twitter.
Trump had flown to his Palm Beach home after a White House digital assets summit on Friday, according to the Palm Beach Post. The newspaper said the trip marked Trump’s fifth visit since taking office in January.
NORAD has intercepted more than 20 violations of the flight restrictions over Mar-a-Lago since Trump returned to office, the agency said, urging pilots to check restrictions in the area before flying.
Last week, F-16 fighter jets intercepted three small airplanes in the area. Flares were deployed to warn the pilots involved, although there was no indication that any airspace violations were intentional or that Trump was in danger at any point.
For the 2nd time this weekend, @NORADCommand fighters intercepted an aircraft violating the Palm Beach TFR. Flares were deployed during the intercept. The FAA and NORAD urge pilots to check NOTAMs before EVERY flight. #aviation #TFR #PalmBeach pic.twitter.com/8FfnsEwHzc
— 1st AF/America’s AOC (@1stAF) March 9, 2025
In July, Thomas Matthew Crooks left Trump bloodied after opening fire at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. A bullet struck Trump’s ear as it whizzed past his head. Crooks killed one audience member and injured two others in the shooting. A Secret Service sniper killed Crooks immediately after he fired the shots.
In September, suspected gunman Ryan Wesley Routh allegedly came within a few hundred yards of Trump as the Republican played golf at Trump International Golf Club, a members-only club near Mar-a-Lago.
What People Are Saying
General Gregory Guillot, NORAD’s commander, said in a statement on Sunday: “NORAD and the FAA [Federal Aviation Authority] work closely together to keep the skies over America safe, with close attention paid to areas with Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFR). Adherence to TFR procedures is essential to ensure flight safety, national security, and the security of the President. The procedures are not optional and the excessive number of recent TFR violations indicates many civil aviators are not reading Notice to Airmen, or NOTAMs, before each flight as required by the FAA, and has resulted in multiple responses by NORAD fighter aircraft to guide offending aircraft out of the TFR.”
North American Aerospace Defense Command wrote on X: “Twice in the past 48 hours, F-16 fighter jets from the Continental U.S. NORAD region responded to a general aviation aircraft over Palm Beach, FL, violating the Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR). Pilots, please check NOTAMs!”
What Happens Next
Aviation authorities have reminded pilots to check restrictions before flying to avoid being intercepted with flares or fighter jets.
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