see also: in January 2008:   Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism: A Year in Review   Cooperation Leads to Apprehension of International Fugitive   Border Patrol Seizes $109,944 Stashed in Vehicle   CBP Arrests Fugitive Arriving from Dominican into Puerto Rico   CBP and ICE Donate Thousands of Shoes to Charity   Operation Uniforce 8 ...more on cbp.gov:   CBP News Releases   Press Officers

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Mesa, Ariz. – Officials from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Arizona Air National Guard and Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport announced today details of air traffic restrictions that will be implemented on Super Bowl Sunday over the Phoenix/Glendale region.

Several hours prior to kickoff Sunday, a temporary flight restriction will go into effect around the University of Phoenix Stadium. From 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. there will be a two-mile restriction around the stadium and from 3 p.m. until 10:30 p.m. the restriction will be expanded to 30 miles. The flight restrictions will only apply to non-commercial or general aviation aircraft and will not interfere with passenger or cargo commercial flights.

Aircraft from the 162nd Fighter Wing of the Arizona Air National Guard along with CBP Air and Marine will enforce the Federal Aviation Agency-imposed restriction during the game on Sunday. The National Guard will provide interdiction of high and fast aircraft while CBP will be responsible for the interdiction of low and slow aircraft.

“In addition to the air defense flights during Super Bowl XLII, the 162nd Fighter Wing F-16 Fighting Falcons will also fly a series of air defense deterrence missions Friday morning over parts of Tucson, Nogales and the greater Phoenix area,” announced Lt. Col. Mark “Moon” Milham, 162nd FW Alert Detachment Commander. “The purpose of these flights is to demonstrate NORAD’s quick-response capability.”

The Western Air Defense Sector at McChord AFB in Washington state will monitor air traffic during the game, providing the Tucson-based 162nd FW pilots with radar images of the skyways around University of Phoenix Stadium. The Western Air Defense Sector is one of two assigned to the continental U.S. NORAD Region, home of Operation NOBLE EAGLE and America’s Air Operations Center at Tyndall AFB, FL. Also, CBP Air and Marine will have two Cessna Citation (C-550) interceptors and two UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters conducting airborne patrols over and in the vicinity of the stadium restrictions.

“Additional CBP A & M aircraft will provide added law enforcement air support during all Super Bowl-related events taking place in the region,” said Martin Vaughan, CBP Tucson branch director of air operations. “Through the use of PC-12 surveillance aircraft, CBP A&M will provide law enforcement and other public safety commanders at the Joint Operation Center with a live interactive view of the ground.

“CBP air interdiction agents on board the aircraft will be able to assist ground public safety commanders by providing video of any situation that may be developing on a specific area,” Vaughan added. “On the other hand, these ground commanders will be able to ask the CBP agents to point the cameras to a specific location that may be of concern to ground public safety personnel.”

CBP Air and Marine also will deploy detection enforcement officers at the CBP Air and Marine Operations Center in Riverside, Calif., providing dedicated monitoring of Super Bowl airspace activity, coordinating continued tracking of violators of the restriction, coordinating the law enforcement response, and providing command, control and coordination for non-defense assets.

Scheduled commercial flights in and out of Sky Harbor will not be affected by the Super Bowl, according to Deborah Ostreicher, deputy aviation director, Phoenix. “Even though the airspace around the stadium in Glendale will be restricted on game day, these restrictions will not affect commercial air traffic and will not have any effect on scheduled flights in and out of Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport,” Ostreicher said.

Federal officials stated that they have been working together with other state and local public safety agencies to ensure that fans can fully enjoy this national sporting event with little awareness of the assets in place to ensure their safety and security.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.