US Air Force F-16 Fighters Intercept Aircraft Invading Mar-a-Lago Airspace

The US Air Force was forced to send up F-16 fighters to intercept multiple aircraft that invaded Mar-a-Lago airspace over the weekend.

The North American Aerospace Defense Command confirmed that two incidents occurred within 48 hours.

“F-16 fighter jets front the Continental U.S. NORAD region responded to a general aviation aircraft over Palm Beach, FL, violating the Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR),” the statement reads. “Pilots, please check NOTAMs.”

Continental US NORAD also detailed the incidents in a separate statement, stating that the second incident was a civilian aircraft that violated the TFR at approximately 1 p.m. local time on Sunday, March 9. This aircraft safely escorted the aircraft out of the area.

President Donald Trump Was at Mar-a-Lago When the Restricted Airspace Incidents Occurred

The TFR surrounds Mar-a-Lago, President Donald Trump’s Florida residence. He was there at the time of the incident.

“Since the January 20, 2025 presidential inauguration, NORAD has responded to over 20 tracks of interest entering the Palm Beach, Florida temporary flight restrictions area,” the statement further reads.

Gen. Gregory Guillot, NORAD and US Northern Command commander, also stated that the restriction is not optional.

“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,” he explained.