A Spirit Airlines jet came uncomfortably close to Air Force One on Tuesday as President Donald Trump travelled to London for his state visit, according to a Bloomberg report. Spirit Flight 1300, an Airbus A321 en route from Fort Lauderdale to Boston, was flying over Long Island when an air traffic controller noticed its altitude and path were converging with the presidential Boeing 747.
Although the planes remained miles apart and well within safety margins, the incident quickly drew attention online, given the high-profile nature of Air Force One.
“Get off the iPad”
According to the Bloomberg report, the recordings shared on social media revealed increasingly urgent instructions from a New York controller to the Spirit pilots. After several failed attempts to gain a response, he demanded: “Spirit 1300, turn 20 degrees RIGHT NOW.” Eventually, the crew complied, adjusting course away from Air Force One.
The controller later told the pilots: “Traffic’s off your left wing by 6 miles … I’m sure you can see who it is.” In a sharp rebuke, he added: “Pay attention! Get off the iPad!”
Trump’s UK visit
Trump landed safely in London later that day, where he met King Charles at Windsor Castle and join Prime Minister Keir Starmer for talks. US firms are expected to announce tens of billions of dollars in investment for UK technology infrastructure during the visit.