Airspace over Lake Michigan closed by FAA, NORAD due to Chinese spy balloon incident

On Sunday, February 12, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) momentarily halted aircraft travel over northern Lake Michigan as the United States remains on high alert following the Chinese spy balloon incident earlier this month.

The temporary restriction took place at around noon Eastern time and lasted approximately an hour. It was also done in conjunction with the Federal Aviation Administration “to ensure the safety of air traffic in the area during NORAD operations,” NORAD said. According to the New York Post, flights departing from Mitchell International Airport in Milwaukee were not impacted by the decision.

The FAA warned pilots that if they were to enter the restricted space over Lake Michigan they “may be intercepted, detained and interviewed by law enforcement or security personnel.” Deadly force was also threatened if pilots did not comply.

This air space closure comes on the heels of recent Chinese spy balloon and unidentified object sightings starting late January. Here’s a timeline of when and where the balloon has been seen:

Jan. 28 – Chinese surveillance balloon first made its way over Canada and then the U.S.

Feb. 1-2 – The U.S. The Defense Department reported that it tracked the balloon in Montana on Feb. 1. After that announcement on Feb. 2, the balloon made its way to the East Coast.

Feb. 4 – A U.S. fighter jet shot the balloon down off the South Carolina coast. In the following days, Navy and FBI teams worked to retrieve the balloon’s debris and wreckage

Feb. 10-12 – U.S. shot down three objects over the course of three days. One “high-altitude object” near Alaska Feb. 10, another on Feb. 11 found in Canadian airspace, and the final object spotted over the Great Lakes Feb. 12

According to TIME, the balloon has also been seen in other parts of the world, including Guam, Costa Rica and Colombia. The Japanese Ministry of Defense also suspects that three spy balloons entered its airspace from November 2019-September 2021. China has rejected these allegations saying, “We firmly oppose the Japanese side’s smear campaign against China in the absence of conclusive evidence.”

Roshae Hemmings is an arts and culture magazine journalist from St. Louis, MO. A graduate of the Missouri School of Journalism, her bylines include discussing pop culture, social justice and eat and drink. Roshae is a foodie at heart and enjoys eating food as much as learning the story behind it.

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This story was originally published February 15, 2023 at 3:15 PM with the headline "Airspace over Lake Michigan closed by FAA, NORAD due to Chinese spy balloon incident."