Air traffic controller scolds Spirit pilots for closing on Air Force One over Long Island
Controller ordered Spirit Airlines Flight 1300 to turn away and told pilots to 'get off the iPad' as President Trump’s plane passed en route to the U.K.; Spirit says the flight landed uneventfully.
An air traffic controller sharply rebuked the pilots of Spirit Airlines Flight 1300 on Tuesday after the passenger jet came close to the altitude and flight path of Air Force One as both aircraft passed over Long Island, according to audio recordings and news reports.
The Spirit flight, a Fort Lauderdale-to-Boston service, was instructed by the controller to "turn 20 degrees right" after being warned it was "rapidly closing in" on the presidential aircraft. Recordings of the exchange, first shared on the social platform Bluesky and available on liveatc.net, captured the controller repeatedly ordering the turn and scolding the crew for a delayed response.
After the pilots acknowledged the instruction and began the maneuver, the controller continued to admonish them, saying "Pay attention, Spirit 1300... Keep an eye out for him — he's white and blue." The radio exchange ended with the controller telling the crew, "Pay attention! Get off the iPad." Bloomberg reported on the incident, citing the audio clip and social-media posts.
Officials and airline representatives said Air Force One was not in danger at any point. A Spirit Airlines spokesman told CBS News that "safety is always our top priority" and that "Spirit Airlines flight 1300 followed procedures and Air Traffic Control (ATC) instructions while en route to Boston and landed uneventfully." The Spirit flight continued without further incident and landed in Boston.
President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump were aboard Air Force One as it flew to the United Kingdom. They landed at London Stansted Airport on Tuesday and were scheduled to meet King Charles III at Windsor Castle and Prime Minister Keir Starmer in the days following the arrival.
Air traffic controllers routinely give separation instructions when civilian flights approach the altitude or path of specially designated government aircraft, and recordings of controller-pilot exchanges occasionally surface online. In this case, the controller’s repeated, terse commands and the vivid phrasing in the audio drew attention on social media and in subsequent news reports. There was no immediate indication from authorities that the episode would prompt a formal investigation.
The Federal Aviation Administration oversees air traffic control operations in the United States, and control centers coordinate closely with military and executive-transport missions to maintain required separation. Airline and ATC statements indicated standard procedures were followed and that all aircraft reached their destinations without safety incidents.
