The Navy scrapped a scheduled flyover of New York City on the 19th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
Fox News reporter Lucas Tomlinson said Pentagon officials had informed him that the flyover had been scuttled after protests from New York City Hall.
“U.S. Navy cancels scheduled flyover of Navy F-18 Super Hornet jet over NYC on 9/11 after protests from City Hall: Pentagon officials,” Tomlinson tweeted.
U.S. Navy cancels scheduled flyover of Navy F-18 Super Hornet jet over NYC on 9/11 after protests from City Hall: Pentagon officials
— Lucas Tomlinson (@LucasFoxNews) September 11, 2020
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio joined a chorus of people online who were confused when the Twitter account for the city’s emergency notification system announced this morning that an F-18 jet would be conducting a flyover on the Hudson River at 3:30 p.m. EST to commemorate the 9/11 attacks.
“The mayor wasn’t aware of the flyover, and frankly, it’s inappropriate,” a representative with de Blasio’s office said. “He looks forward to thanking our heroes and honoring those we’ve lost at the ceremony this morning.”
Earlier in the morning, stunned Twitter users, including New York Democratic Rep. Max Rose, who on Thursday released a fiercely critical ad of the mayor’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, joined in on de Blasio’s call to stop the flyover.
“Are you out of your mind?” Rose said. “Cancel this immediately.”
Social media was also abuzz with outrage at the prospect of a flyover.
“What? CANCEL THIS!” wrote one Twitter user. “This is insane and cruel to those of us who still suffer from PTSD when we hear a low-flying plane no matter where we are, yet alone flying down the Hudson River past the WTC!”
