Air Force One flyover over White House delays 202 flights with 15 minutes' warning

What happened

Two low passes by Air Force One over the White House on the evening of Thursday, 29 October 2026, interrupted a Halloween party for children that Donald Trump hosted on the South Lawn. The presidential aircraft flew lower than usual, between 400 and 1,000 feet (122 to 305 metres), according to the Washington Post. Donald Trump and Melania Trump watched from the event and waved as the plane passed overhead, and the jet also flew over neighbouring districts of the capital. The flyover came in the middle of the event, after which the couple returned to the White House.

Airport halt and delays

The Federal Aviation Administration temporarily suspended air traffic at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport so the passes could be carried out safely. FlightAware data cited by the outlets show that 26% of departures and 17% of arrivals were delayed on Thursday, a total of 202 flights. Most of those delays were tied to the temporary halt in traffic. Some passengers flying to Washington said their aircraft were forced to circle in the air, while others faced long waits on the ground.

Departures delayed26%

Arrivals delayed17%

Departures delayed

26 %

Arrivals delayed

17 %

Data from the article text

Criticism over the warning

The District of Columbia council said in a social media post that the warning reached residents in downtown Washington, the Pentagon and the national airport just 15 minutes before the flight. The council added that the timing surprised many people, the council included. Airline officials said they had been informed less than an hour before the aircraft flew over, as Reuters reported. The objections focused less on the flight itself than on the short notice given to residents, local authorities and airlines.

The White House party

The White House posted video of the flyover on its social media accounts, presenting it as an epic pass for trick-or-treaters. Reports described hundreds of children, many dressed as characters such as Barbie, Tigger and Batman, while NewsIT put the number of people welcomed to the South Garden on Thursday at 6,000. Cabinet officials attended with their families, among them Pete Hegseth, Stephen Miller, the deputy chief of staff, and Jamieson Greer, the US trade representative. Military families, police families and foster and adoptive families were also invited, according to the reports.

Decorations and entertainment

The entrance was decorated with pumpkins, ivy and a giant prop moon lit in orange, with silhouettes of bats moving across it. A US Air Force string band played spooky songs with a Halloween theme during the event. Trump briefly danced to the theme from Ghostbusters before returning to the festivities. NewsIT also reported that the Treasury Department handed out colouring books to promote Trump Accounts alongside the trick-or-treating.