The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has just shut down the airspace near an airport that serves roughly eight million flyers every year.
Major airlines, including American, Delta, and United, will be required to avoid the airspace surrounding President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida for the next year, with aircraft prohibited from flying within one nautical mile of the property
The new restrictions went into effect on Monday and will be enforced 24 hours a day until October 20, 2026.
It specifically impacts traffic at Palm Beach International Airport (PBI), with Mar-a-Lago sitting just east of the busy transit hub.
The FAA created the restricted air zone (or Temporary Flight Restriction) around PBI due to ‘special security reasons,’ meaning there will be no flying allowed in this zone for anyone, including planes, helicopters, or drones, unless they have special permission.
Planes can still take off and land normally at PBI, but they must avoid flying through the tiny restricted circle next to the airport.
PBI is popular with other airlines such as JetBlue and Southwest, with many offering nonstop flights to major East Coast spots, but it’s also Trump’s go-to landing spot when the president takes Air Force One to the ‘Winter White House.’
Officials at the airport said the new restrictions could impact traffic, specifically on PBI’s main runway, which regularly sends traffic over the new forbidden zone.