MIAMI.– The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) imposed a permanent no-fly zone around President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, for “special security reasons.”
The restriction, which went into effect on October 20 and will last for at least one year, prohibits the flight of any type of aircraft within a radius of one nautical mile and up to 2,000 feet above the property, regardless of whether the president is there.
This decision comes days after the Secret Service discovered a suspicious surveillance structure with a direct view of the landing zone of the presidential plane.
Protocols and their impact
Unlike the temporary restrictions that were only activated during presidential visits, the new regulations will be in force 24 hours a day.
The measure will force the reorganization of flight routes at Palm Beach International Airport (PBI), a terminal that served a record of more than 8 million passengers last year and is located less than five kilometers from Mar-a-Lago.
Aircraft operating at PBI will be required to divert northward, resulting in a significant increase in air traffic and noise in neighborhoods such as Flamingo Park and Grandview Heights.
Palm Beach County Commissioner Gregg Weiss warned residents that they will have to get used to this new reality, since local authorities have no control over the FAA’s decision.
Additionally, when President Trump visits Palm Beach, the exclusion zone will be expanded to a 10 nautical mile radius and an outer control ring will be established between 10 and 30 nautical miles as part of the additional restrictions.
Security
The measure is justified by “special safety reasons” not specified by the FAA. However, the decision is framed in a context of high concern for the President’s safety.
On October 16, Secret Service agents found a “hunting stand” elevated in a tree, about 1,800 feet from where Trump disembarks from Air Force One.
The FBI is leading the investigation into the discovery, although no people were found at the site nor has the structure been linked to specific individuals.
This incident adds to the assassination attempt against Trump in September 2024 at a Palm Beach golf course, which has intensified security protocols around his movements.
Since assuming his second term in January, the president has traveled to his residence in Florida 11 times.
