Updated….
The Chinese “spy balloon” that continued to drift eastward, has now been shot down over the Atlantic Ocean.
The Federal Aviation Administration had issued a ground stop for three airports in the Carolinas and restricted airspace near Myrtle Beach between 12:45 p.m. and 2:45 p.m. ET. for “national defense airspace.”
The affected airports are in Wilmington, North Carolina; Charleston, South Carolina; and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
“The FAA has paused departures to Wilmington (ILM), Myrtle Beach International (MYR) and Charleston International (CHS) airports to support the Department of Defense in a national security effort,” according to the statement from the FAA.
During a ground stop, all aircraft that meet specific criteria must stay on the ground.
The area of the Temporary Flight Restriction near Myrtle Beach is about 140 nautical miles wide, or about 20,000 square miles. This bans all aircraft from the airspace — mostly from the coastline from Charleston to Wilmington and areas to the south and east.
The notice comes as the balloon has been spotted over various parts of the Carolinas Saturday. It is on trajectory to drift off the coast soon, according to a NOAA weather model.
The Biden administration is considering a plan to shoot it down once it is above the Atlantic Ocean where the remnants could potentially be recovered, according to four U.S. officials.
One of the officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive operation, said President Joe Biden had given the go-ahead. In a brief remark Saturday in response to a reporter’s question about the balloon, Biden said: “We’re going to take care of it.”
