WINDSOR LOCKS, Conn. — President Joe Biden will be traveling to Connecticut on Friday to visit West Hartford and Greenwich, but will it cause delays for travelers at the airport, and will pilots of smaller planes and drones have to reschedule their flights?
Biden will be in the state Friday to be a keynote speaker for the National Safer Communities Summit in West Hartford, hosted at The University of Hartford. Biden will then go to Greenwich for a campaign reception.
For trips around the country and the globe, the president usually takes Air Force One.
It's most likely he will land at Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks, and then he will make his way to the Summit, where he is expected to give a keynote speech around 2 p.m.
Will travelers have to worry about delays at the airport as Biden makes his way around Connecticut?
When the president travels, The Federal Aviation Administration will issue a Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR). These are issued to pilots to restrict flying in a certain area. These restrictions could be due to a hazard or a special event. In this case, Biden is a VIP traveling in the area and requires extra security.
Special permission is needed to travel in a TFR area. Regularly scheduled commercial flights and cargo carriers that are under a TSA-approved security program have permission to fly in a TFR area, per the Notices to Airmen (NOTAM.)
Military aircraft assisting the Secret Service and approved ambulance flights are also permitted to fly in these TFRs.
The Connecticut Airport Authority (CAA) also ensures travelers that their trips shouldn't be impacted by Biden's visit.
"We are not expecting any impactful delays during the President’s visit and travelers should see very minimal effects," a spokesperson for CAA told FOX61 in a statement Wednesday.
It's still a good habit to arrive at the airport early and check the flight status in case of any changes.
There are three separate TFRs that will be in effect in the Hartford area on Friday:
- The inner-core radius around Bradley Int'l Airport in Windsor Locks. Active from 12:30 p.m. EDT to 1:30 p.m. EDT
- The inner-core radius around the Hartford area, since the president will be at UHart for the Summit. Active from 1 p.m. EDT to 3:30 p.m. EDT
- A larger radius that covers Hartford County, as well as portions of Western Massachusetts, Tolland, Windham, Litchfield, and New Haven counties. Active from 12:30 p.m. EDT to 4:30 p.m. EDT
With the president traveling to Greenwich after his speech in West Hartford, there are additional TFRs that will go into effect in the Fairfield County/Southern New York area.
- A inner-core radius around Greenwich. Active from 3:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. EDT
- A wider radius that covers a portion of Fairfield County, the White Plains area, and a portion of Long Island. Active from 3:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. EDT
Pilots seeking to fly their aircraft Friday, be it a small plane or drone, are required to adhere to these TFRs when they are in effect and are strongly advised to get the latest NOTAMs before their flight.
Leah Myers is a digital content producer at FOX61 News. She can be reached at lmyers@fox61.com
---
Have a story idea or something on your mind you want to share? We want to hear from you! Email us at newstips@fox61.com
---
HERE ARE MORE WAYS TO GET FOX61 NEWS
Download the FOX61 News APP
iTunes: Click here to download
Google Play: Click here to download
Stream Live on ROKU: Add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching FOX61.
Steam Live on FIRE TV: Search ‘FOX61’ and click ‘Get’ to download.
