Spirit Airlines flight warned to move away from Air Force One while flying over Long Island

A Spirit Airlines flight was repeatedly warned by Air Traffic Control to move away from Air Force One while flying over Long Island, New York.

The Spirit plane was flying from Fort Lauderdale to Boston on Tuesday as Air Force One was carrying President Trump, first lady Melania Trump, and others for a state visit to the United Kingdom, CBS News reported.

"Spirit 1300 turn 20 degrees right," an air traffic controller told the flight's pilot, according to recordings. "Pay attention, Spirit 1300, turn 20 degrees right. Spirit 1300, turn 20 degrees right, now. Spirit wings 1300 turn 20 degrees right, immediately."

According to preliminary flight data, the Spirit flight and Air Force One were flying parallel to each other over Long Island, eight miles apart, and were 11 miles apart when they were on the closest path where they could converge.

After acknowledgment from the Spirit pilots, the air traffic controller responded, "Pay attention. Spirit 1300 traffic off your left wing by six mi-- or eight miles, 747. I'm sure you can see who it is. Keep an eye out for him — he's white and blue."

"Pay attention. Get off the iPad," the controllers said to the Spirit pilots.

"Safety is always our top priority," a Spirit spokesman told the news outlet. "Spirit Airlines flight 1300 followed procedures and Air Traffic Control (ATC) instructions while en route to Boston and landed uneventfully (in Boston)."

"Preliminary investigation shows aircraft maintained the required separation," the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement.