The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed that an hour before the Super Bowl kickoff in Los Angeles on Sunday afternoon, airplanes that don’t have special authorization and drones will be banned from flying within 30 miles of the stadium.
“We’re excited to see the hometown Rams in the big game against the Bengals and we hope fans will celebrate safely,” said Girvin. “But we encourage everyone to please leave your drones at home.”
Pilots of unauthorized aircraft can face criminal prosecution and fines, Girvin said.
“When you’re talking about identifying an unknown aircraft, whether that be a traditional aircraft or a drone that’s entering the [flight-restricted area], identifying that aircraft, analyzing the threat that the aircraft provides and then mitigating that risk falls upon our security partners,” he added.
Meanwhile, no issues are anticipated during Super Bowl LVI, which pits the Cincinnati Bengals against the Los Angeles Rams and has a 6:30 p.m. ET kickoff, said Amir Ehsaei, special agent in charge of counterterrorism for the FBI in Los Angeles.
“At this time, we have no indication of any credible threat to the Super Bowl or any related events,” he said, according to American Military News.
Air Force Maj. Andrew Scott with the Continental U.S. NORAD Region said that “there will be a robust air-defense system in place on Super Bowl Sunday” and a “never-before-seen flyover formation.”
The 144th Fighter Wing’s Detachment 1, commanded by Lt. Col. Mark Jansky, confirmed to American Military News that fighter jets could be dispatched from several military bases.
If there is a wayward plane, Jansky said that there would be an attempt to communicate with the individual flying the aircraft.
“If it’s a mistake, that’s the very quickest way to get them to change,” Jansky said. “If not, we’re going to come up and intercept them.”
If the pilot does not respond, he said that other actions would be taken, without elaborating.
