A Spirit Airlines pilot received a stern reprimand from an air traffic controller Tuesday morning after the commercial flight came within several miles of Air Force One, which was transporting President Donald Trump over New York en route to the United Kingdom.
According to live air traffic control audio shared on LiveATC.net, Spirit Flight 1300, traveling from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to Boston, was instructed multiple times to alter its course after drifting within 8 miles of the president’s aircraft.
“Pay attention, Spirit 1300. Turn 20 degrees right,” the air traffic controller is heard saying.
“Spirit 1300, turn 20 degrees right now.”
“Spirit Wings 1300, turn 20 degrees right immediately.”
WOW! Air Traffic Control had to SCREAM at a Spirit Airlines flight who was getting too close to Air Force One
“Spirit 1300 turn 20 degrees right IMMEDIATELY! … Pay attention! Get off the iPad!”
You couldn’t PAY me to fly on Spirit at this point.
pic.twitter.com/BUA8d7yWSY— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) September 17, 2025
As the Spirit flight hovered at 33,000 feet above Long Island and edged closer to Air Force One, the controller’s tone grew increasingly exasperated.
“Spirit 1300, traffic’s off your left wing by eight miles — 747. I’m sure you can see who it is. He’s white and blue,” the controller snapped, adding, “Pay attention… Get off the iPad.”
The remark was striking in its directness and suggested the pilot may have been inattentive at a critical moment. While commercial pilots are allowed to use iPads and electronic tablets in the cockpit to access navigation charts and checklists, the tone of the exchange sparked questions about situational awareness in a restricted airspace.
Despite the tension in the exchange, aviation authorities confirmed that proper separation was maintained throughout the incident. Data from flight-tracking service Flightradar24 showed that the Spirit plane came no closer than eight miles laterally to Air Force One, which remained at 32,000 feet — just 1,000 feet below Spirit Flight 1300.
In a statement to Fox News, a Spirit Airlines spokesperson reportedly confirmed the aircraft “followed procedures and air traffic control instructions” and “landed uneventfully” in Boston.
“Safety is always our top priority,” the airline said.
The Federal Aviation Administration released a statement acknowledging the incident and confirming it is reviewing the interaction.
“The FAA is aware of social media posts about Air Force One and a Spirit Airlines flight in Boston airspace on Tuesday,” the agency said. “Required separation was maintained between the aircraft.”
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Trump was reportedly en route to London for a two-day state visit hosted by King Charles III and Queen Camilla.
The audio was first flagged by aviation account JonNYC on Bluesky and quickly went viral across social media platforms, with users stunned by the bluntness of the phrase: “Get off the iPad.”