JUST IN: F-16s Forced To Intercept Plane Violating Trump’s Airspace

A security scare near Palm Beach International Airport on Sunday forced the Air Force to scramble F-16 fighter jets to intercept a civilian aircraft that violated restricted airspace as President Donald Trump was preparing to fly back to Washington, officials said.

Authorities briefly imposed a ground stop at the airport as the situation unfolded.

“The civilian aircraft violated the Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) at approximately 1:15 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. The aircraft was safely escorted out of the area by NORAD aircraft,” the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service said in a statement shared by the North American Aerospace Defense Command, which oversees air defense for the U.S. and Canada.

NORAD said the fighter jets also deployed flares as part of the intercept.

“The flares were used to draw attention from or communicate with the pilot. Flares are employed with the highest regard for safety, burn out quickly and completely, and pose no danger to people on the ground.”

The White House and Secret Service said neither Air Force One nor the president was in danger.

“A general aviation aircraft was briefly out of communication with the air traffic control tower at Palm Beach International Airport, but contact was ultimately established and the ground stop was lifted,” a White House official told The Post.

“There was no drone incursion or concern regarding Air Force One, which is not slated to take off until this evening.”

Trump was at Trump International Golf Course at the time of the incident, according to the report.

Early chatter around the airport suggested a possible drone issue, fueled in part by video in which a Delta pilot told passengers that “they had to scramble some helicopters to go and investigate” the situation.

A Secret Service spokesperson pushed back on that account, saying the helicopter referenced in the social media post was operating lawfully.

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“While airspace violations are relatively common, particularly outside of Washington, DC, that helicopter referenced in the tweet was actually authorized for that specific area and was not related to a drone or Temporary Flight Restriction, TFR, violation,” the spokesperson said.

The Federal Aviation Administration said “Operations are normal after the FAA slowed traffic at Palm Beach International Airport due to volume,” but declined to provide an on-the-record explanation for the ground stop.

The episode underscored how seriously the U.S. treats temporary flight restrictions tied to presidential movements, particularly in South Florida, where Trump routinely travels and security perimeters can tighten with little notice.

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