Trump’s Palm Beach Flight Restrictions Back With a Few Changes

With Donald Trump returning to office for a second term, flight restrictions will be enforced over Palm Beach International Airport (PBI) and other parts of South Florida. The new TFRs include a few changes from the ones set in Trump’s first run as President.

The VIP TFRs will take effect anytime Trump stays at the Mar-A-Lago Club in Palm Beach. They have a 10 nautical mile inner core and 30 nautical mile outer ring, extending from the surface up to 18,000 ft.

Any operators arriving at PBI when the TFR is active will have to register for gateway screening no less than 24 hours before the flight. Five airports are approved for the process, including White Plains (HPN), Teterboro (TEB), Dulles (IAD), Orlando International (MCO), and Fort Lauderdale (FLL). TSA will also be vetting passengers and crews operating at PBI using its eSecure Flight program, hopefully without creating annoyingly long waits. 

“Operators must submit passenger and crew information ahead of time as it’s available,” explained Heidi Williams, the NBAA’s senior director of air traffic services and infrastructure. “TSA indicated that they would accommodate revised manifests as needed but asks that we minimize such changes to ensure adequate staffing at these screening facilities.”

Operations like flight training and banner towing will be prohibited when the restriction is active. All other flights will be permitted but required to file an IFR or VFR flight plan, maintain contact with ATC, and squawk a discrete transponder code to operate in the TFR.

The restrictions are expected to create a significant disturbance to flight operators based in and near PBI, just like they did during Trump’s first term. Business aviation organizations are already working out new plans to mitigate delays.

“We are working to minimize operational impacts as much as possible, but it’s difficult to mitigate and abet the effects from presidential travel in a material fashion,” explained Doug Carr, NBAA Senior Vice President of Safety, Security, Sustainability and International Operations. “This is never a simple process and it’s something our entire industry needs to properly manage."

Start and end times for the TFRs will be released through FAA NOTAMs as normal.

FMI: https://notams.aim.faa.gov