WASHINGTON — A security scare at Palm Beach International Airport Sunday prompted officials to briefly impose a ground stop — hours before Air Force One was slated to fly President Trump back to DC.
Initial reports suggested that some sort of drone incursion at the airport triggered the ground stop, with footage showing a Delta pilot informing passengers of the security scare.
However, the White House and Secret Service said the incident did not involve a drone — but a private plane that lost communications.
“A general aviation aircraft was briefly out of communication with the air traffic control tower at Palm Beach International Airport, but contact was ultimately established and the ground stop was lifted,” a White House official told The Post.
“There was no drone incursion or concern regarding Air Force One, which is not slated to take off until this evening.”
The president was at Trump International Golf Course during the time of the security incident at Palm Beach International Airport.
Secret Service told The Post that “at no point was there any risk to AF1 or the President’s safety.”
Video of a Delta pilot briefing passengers about the ground halt at Palm Beach International Airport went viral. The pilot claimed that “they had to scramble some helicopters to go and investigate” the situation.
A Secret Service spokesperson suggested to The Post that the helicopter referenced by the pilot may not have been related to a security scare that prompted the airport to briefly ground planes.
“While airspace violations are relatively common, particularly outside of Washington, D.C., that helicopter referenced in the tweet was actually authorized for that specific area and was not related to a drone or Temporary Flight Restriction, TFR, violation,” the spokesperson said.
When asked for comment about the ordeal, the Federal Aviation Administration told The Post that “Operations are normal after the FAA slowed traffic at Palm Beach International Airport due to volume,” but declined to give an on-the-record explanation about the ground stop.
