Wednesday afternoon, the Earth may not have stood still, but Billings Logan International Airport did.
According to KULR, the Montana airport was closed for around two hours at the same time individuals reported seeing an unidentified flying object and military planes in the region.
The item has been spotted in Billings, Reed Point, and Hobson.
The Billings Gazette reported that aircraft were grounded when federal aviation officials issued a “ground stop.”
KULR reported that Shane Ketterling, director of Aviation at BIL, stated that the Salt Lake City Federal Aviation Administration ordered the shutdown.
Billings, Livingston, Bozeman, and Helena were impacted by the closure of 50 square miles of airspace.
According to Ketterling, two planes to BIL were forced to deviate but were able to land in the end. Due to the ground halt, just one flight’s takeoff was delayed.
Ketterling allegedly stated that he could neither confirm nor deny that the halt was due to the unidentified flying object.
In addition, he stated that instructions of this nature typically originate from the highest levels of the FAA or military, frequently without explanation.
According to KFBB, the white object was eventually believed to be a Chinese spy balloon.
The United States government has apparently been monitoring the balloon for many days.
BREAKING 🚨 Alleged footage shows suspected Chinese spy balloon that US government has been monitoring, hovering over Montana for the past few days
— Insider Paper (@TheInsiderPaper) February 2, 2023
“The United States government has detected and is tracking a high-altitude surveillance balloon that is over the continental United States right now,” Pentagon spokesman Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder told NBC News. “We continue to track and monitor it closely.”
The stratospheric balloon was observed flying over the Aleutian Islands, Canada, and Montana.
BREAKING UPDATES 🚨 Defense Secretary and top military officials considered shooting the balloon down but decided doing so would endanger too many people on the ground, a senior defense official told reporters.https://t.co/GZz2fX9IH9
— Insider Paper (@TheInsiderPaper) February 2, 2023
Wednesday, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin convened a meeting to discuss the security threat. Senior defense and military authorities, including Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley, attended the conference.
North American Aerospace Defense Command Commander General Glen VanHerck, along with other officials, also attended the conference.
Due to the risk of falling debris for the people on the ground, officials opted against deflating the balloon mechanically.
NORAD dispatched F-22 Raptors from Nellis Air Force Base as well as other aircraft, according to a senior defense official, but would not confirm whether the intention was to shoot down the object.
Wednesday, the authorities briefed President Joe Biden about the threat and the options for addressing it.