A civilian aircraft entered the no-fly zone around US President Donald Trump’s estate in the state of Florida and was intercepted by fighter jets.
Mar 30, 2026, 4:21 a.mMar 30, 2026, 4:21 a.m
The military command responsible for air defense (Norad) said that F-16 fighter jets took off, fired flares and ultimately escorted the machine safely out of the restricted airspace.
Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.Image: keystone
The use of the flares – sometimes also called decoys – was about getting the civilian pilot’s attention or communicating with him, explained Norad. The rockets burn completely and pose no danger to people on the ground.
The US military does not provide any information about how many fighter jets were involved in the operation. It also remained unclear what type of civilian aircraft the intruder was.
Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate is located in Palm Beach in southeast Florida. Whenever the president is there, a temporary exclusion zone for air traffic is usually imposed to protect him. Trump spends many weekends at his Mar-a-Lago club, especially during the winter months. He was also in Florida this weekend. (sda/dpa)