WFAN co-host Gregg Giannotti was barred from a private jet to Chicago on Thursday after he could not produce a REAL ID, preventing him from attending the Radio Hall of Fame ceremony Thursday where partner Boomer Esiason was inducted.
The pilot checked identification for the private flight carrying Esiason, WFAN executives and staff. When he reached Giannotti, the host offered only a standard driver’s license. According to Awful Announcing, the pilot asked if it was a REAL ID or enhanced ID; Giannotti said it was neither. After checking further, the pilot returned and told him, “We’ve got a problem. I can’t take you.” Giannotti was escorted off the plane while the rest of the group continued to Chicago.
Giannotti recounted the episode on Friday’s Boomer & Gio show.
Gio was escorted off the plane and missed Boomer's Radio Hall of Fame induction😂 https://t.co/IM8lFcDo2V
— WFAN Sports Radio (@WFAN660) October 9, 2026
He said he had flown privately with Esiason roughly six times before without an ID check and normally carries a passport only for commercial flights. He noted he had missed that REAL ID requirements now apply even to private domestic flights. “I can’t put a bow on this; it absolutely sucks, so I felt terrible,” he said. Esiason appeared bemused by the situation; Giannotti said it was nice to go home and rest but still felt responsible for the mishap.
The Radio Hall of Fame inducted its 2026 class Thursday evening in Chicago. Honorees included SiriusXM 60s Gold’s Shotgun Tom Kelly, WLTW’s Helen Little, Charlie Van Dyke, Fred Winston and WFAN’s Boomer Esiason. Esiason, a former NFL quarterback, has been a fixture at WFAN since 2007, co-hosting successful morning shows first with Craig Carton for a decade and now with Giannotti for eight years.
Most U.S. air travelers need a REAL ID or TSA-approved alternative such as a passport for domestic flights, a rule that also covers private aviation. Social media reactions offered Giannotti little sympathy for missing the private flight and ceremony.
The Radio Hall of Fame inducted its 2026 class Thursday evening in Chicago. Honorees included SiriusXM 60s Gold’s Shotgun Tom Kelly, WLTW’s Helen Little, Charlie Van Dyke, Fred Winston and WFAN’s Boomer Esiason. Esiason, a former NFL quarterback, has been a fixture at WFAN since 2007, co-hosting successful morning shows first with Craig Carton for a decade and now with Giannotti for eight years.
Most U.S. air travelers need a REAL ID or TSA-approved alternative such as a passport for domestic flights, a rule that also covers private aviation. Social media reactions offered Giannotti little sympathy for missing the private flight and ceremony.