Donald Trump blasts ‘sleeping’ business jet pilot after near-collision at Chicago Airport

US President Donald Trump weighed in on a near-miss incident at Chicago Midway Airport on Tuesday (February 25) involving a Southwest Airlines flight, praising the pilots for their handling of the situation. Blaming the pilot of the smaller jet which was seen crossing the runway that a Southwest passenger plane was set to use, the President suggested that the pilot of the FlexJet Challenger business jet should have their license suspended, implying they were not paying attention.

Taking to Truth Social on Wednesday, Trump wrote: “Great job by the Southwest pilots in Chicago. A nearly tragic close call. Perhaps suspend the pilot’s license of the other plane, who must have been “sleeping!””

Near-collision on runway

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported that Southwest Flight 2504, a Boeing 737-800 arriving from Omaha, Nebraska, had to abort its landing after a FlexJet Challenger business jet entered the runway without authorisation.

At around 8:50 a.m. CT, the Southwest jet was just 50 feet above the ground when it performed a go-around maneuver, avoiding a potential collision. Flight tracking data showed the plane was only about 2,050 feet away from the business jet before climbing sharply.

Investigation underway

The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have launched an investigation into the incident. Southwest Airlines confirmed that its crew followed all safety protocols and landed without further issues.

Political fallout over FAA firings

Following the incident, Democrats in Congress criticised recent job cuts at the FAA under the Trump administration. Senator Chris Murphy pointed to the dismissal of 352 FAA employees, including some in safety operations, questioning whether it was the right time to downsize.

However, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy defended the firings, stating that none of the affected positions were “safety-critical” or involved air traffic control.

The FAA has not indicated any errors by air traffic controllers in Tuesday’s incident.