The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has paused departures from and arrivals to three US airports to support the Department of Defense in a national security effort to take down a Chinese spy balloon.

Shutting down US airspace

On Saturday, the FAA announced it had paused departures and arrivals from Wilmington International Airport (ILM), Myrtle Beach International (MYR), and Charleston International Airport (CHS). The flights were suspended at these airports as the country reportedly prepares to shoot down a suspected Chinese spy balloon. The FAA was also rerouting air traffic from the area and warned of delays as a result of the flight restrictions.

Earlier today, President Joe Biden said the US is “going to take care of” the alleged Chinese spy balloon that has been flying over US airspace and adding further pressure on the already tense US-China relations. According to the Associated Press, the president plans to shoot down the balloon once it is above the Atlantic Ocean. The goal is to recover the remnants of the balloon which was spotted Saturday morning over the Carolinas.

The story behind the Chinese spy balloon

This week, the US began tracking a suspected Chinese high-altitude surveillance balloon. This balloon was flying over the continental United States, defense officials said on Thursday. The Associated Press says the balloon was flying at about 60,000 feet in the air and is the size of three school buses.

Due to the size of the balloon, senior military officials advised President Joe Biden not to shoot it down while it was over continental land. The debris could pose a safety threat to people on the ground. On Saturday, the balloon began flying towards the Atlantic coast, which led to the decision to shut it down once it reached the ocean.

As reported by CNN, the balloon flight path took it over “a number of sensitive sites”; nonetheless, it does not present a significant intelligence-gathering risk. It is assessed to have “limited additive value.”

The impact on these airports

FlightAware reports there have been 412 delays and 17 flight cancelations throughout the United States today, with New York JFK International Airport and Miami International Airport being among the top six most impacted airports. Depending on the flight, routes departing from these two airports could be impacted by the ongoing airspace closure off the eastern coast.

Meanwhile, the three airports that have completely shut down have around 115 landings and departures on Saturday, according to data from Cirium. American Airlines could be the most impacted carrier, which has scheduled 40 operations from these three airports, followed by Delta (23), United Airlines (14), and Breeze (11).

What do you think about the FAA shut down the airspace to take down the Chinese spy balloon? Let us know in the comments below.

Sources: CNN; Associated Press.