A Spirit Airlines passenger jet briefly converged with Air Force One as it carried US President Donald Trump to London on Tuesday, authorities said, as the aircraft flew over New York’s busy airspace.
The encounter involved Spirit Flight 1300, an Airbus A321 traveling from Fort Lauderdale to Boston, and the presidential Boeing 747. According to a Bloomberg report, an air traffic controller noticed the aircraft were flying at similar altitudes with converging paths and tried to alert the Spirit pilots to change their course.
Officials said the planes remained miles apart at all times and did not breach safety thresholds. Still, the incident drew attention online, fuelled by recordings of the controller’s increasingly stern radio commands.
“Pay attention, Spirit 1300, turn 20 degrees right,” the controller said after the Spirit crew initially failed to respond. Repeating the order, he added: “Spirit 1300, turn 20 degrees RIGHT NOW.” Later, he warned, “Pay attention! Get off the iPad!”
(Join our ETNRI WhatsApp channel for all the latest updates)
The controller also pointed out the proximity of the presidential aircraft: “Spirit 1300, traffic’s off your left wing by 6 miles, or 8 miles. 747. I’m sure you can see who it is.”
Trump landed in London later Tuesday for a state visit, including a meeting with King Charles at Windsor Castle and discussions with US firms planning investments in UK technology infrastructure.
The audio of the encounter was shared online by users @JonNYC and @thenewarea51, though Bloomberg News could not independently verify the recording.
The incident underscores the challenges of managing commercial and government aircraft in one of the nation’s busiest airspaces.
Add Now!
The encounter involved Spirit Flight 1300, an Airbus A321 traveling from Fort Lauderdale to Boston, and the presidential Boeing 747. According to a Bloomberg report, an air traffic controller noticed the aircraft were flying at similar altitudes with converging paths and tried to alert the Spirit pilots to change their course.
Officials said the planes remained miles apart at all times and did not breach safety thresholds. Still, the incident drew attention online, fuelled by recordings of the controller’s increasingly stern radio commands.
“Pay attention, Spirit 1300, turn 20 degrees right,” the controller said after the Spirit crew initially failed to respond. Repeating the order, he added: “Spirit 1300, turn 20 degrees RIGHT NOW.” Later, he warned, “Pay attention! Get off the iPad!”
(Join our ETNRI WhatsApp channel for all the latest updates)
The controller also pointed out the proximity of the presidential aircraft: “Spirit 1300, traffic’s off your left wing by 6 miles, or 8 miles. 747. I’m sure you can see who it is.”
Trump landed in London later Tuesday for a state visit, including a meeting with King Charles at Windsor Castle and discussions with US firms planning investments in UK technology infrastructure.
The audio of the encounter was shared online by users @JonNYC and @thenewarea51, though Bloomberg News could not independently verify the recording.
The incident underscores the challenges of managing commercial and government aircraft in one of the nation’s busiest airspaces.
Add 
as a Reliable and Trusted News Source
as a Reliable and Trusted News Source Add Now!
