Air Force intercepts a plane flying in a restricted area near Mar-a-Lago

On Sunday, US Air Force fighter jets intercepted a civilian aircraft that unauthorizedly entered temporarily restricted airspace near President Donald Trump's residence in Florida.

This incident, which occurred while Trump was concluding a round of golf at his West Palm Beach course, brought the number of such violations since he took office on Jan. 20, 2025 to more than 20. The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) reported that F-16 aircraft deployed flares to alert the civilian pilot and ensure his departure from the restricted area.

Sunday's incident was not isolated. On Saturday morning, shortly after Trump arrived at the golf course from his private club and residence at Mar-a-Lago, fighter jets conducted another interception in response to a similar violation. According to officials, these intrusions into South Florida's congested airspace have not affected the president's itinerary or compromised his security. NORAD stressed that the flares used, while visible from the ground, extinguished quickly and did not pose a risk to people on the ground.

The flight restrictions over Mar-a-Lago are permanent and are extended to a 30 nautical mile radius when the president is in residence, a standard measure to protect presidential security. However, the frequency of these violations since Trump's inauguration has set off alarms at NORAD. The organization has recorded more than 20 incidents in less than two months, attributing responsibility to civilian pilots who fail to comply with federal regulations. These require airmen to review Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs) before takeoff to be aware of temporary airspace restrictions.

General Gregory Guillot, commander of NORAD and US Northern Command, issued a statement stressing the seriousness of the situation: “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.”

Although interceptions are considered routine in highly sensitive areas such as this, the recurrence of these events has highlighted the need for greater awareness and compliance by the civil aviation community. South Florida airspace, known for its high traffic density, presents additional challenges, but authorities insist that the responsibility falls on pilots to avoid these situations.

For now, security measures have proven effective, keeping the president's protection intact while NORAD continues to watch the skies with redoubled attention.