- The FAA proposed permanent flight restrictions around Mar-a-Lago and Donald J. Trump International Airport in Palm Beach.
- The zone would extend one nautical mile and reach 2,000 feet above mean sea level.
- Public comments remain open until October 2, 2026 before the FAA decides whether to finalize the rules.
The FAA proposed permanent flight restrictions September 1, 2026, around Mar-a-Lago and Donald J. Trump International Airport in Palm Beach, Florida. The plan would replace a temporary security setup with standing rules around President Donald Trump’s Florida residence.
The proposed zone would extend one nautical mile from the residence and reach 2,000 feet above mean sea level. The airport would remain open under specified exceptions.
Public comments are open through October 2, 2026. The proposal gives operators time to weigh the security zone before the agency decides whether to finalize it.
The Secret Service requested the restrictions after citing “adverse threat intelligence.” The department said the change would “greatly increase the ability to mitigate the persistent risks posed by unauthorized aircraft and unmanned aircraft systems.”
The request came “in the interest of national security.” The proposed rules focus on aircraft and unmanned aircraft systems near the president’s home.
Commercial flights would not face an absolute ban. Aircraft arriving at or departing from the airport could cross the zone if they follow approved procedures and communicate with air traffic control.
Emergency flights would also have a route through the airspace.
Airport traffic would remain permitted under approved procedures
The proposed exceptions distinguish ordinary airport operations from unauthorized flights. They also preserve access for aircraft responding to urgent situations.
| Flight category | Proposed treatment |
|---|---|
| Commercial arrivals and departures | Permitted when operators follow approved procedures and communicate with air traffic control |
| Emergency and lifesaving flights | Permitted with authorization |
| Law-enforcement flights | Permitted with authorization and two-way radio contact |
| Other authorized safety flights | Permitted under the applicable authorization and communication requirements |
Those conditions would allow the airport to continue serving scheduled and other approved traffic inside the protected area. Operators would need to meet the security criteria rather than simply enter the zone.
The exception protects the airport’s primary runway
The airport’s main runway sits inside the proposed airspace. Without the airport-traffic exception, the agency said the restriction would “essentially make the primary runway at the Palm Beach airport unusable.”
That runway is identified as Runway 28R/10L. It handled 86 flights a day in 2025.
The exception therefore carries operational weight beyond presidential security. It keeps the airport’s primary arrival and departure infrastructure available while limiting who may use the surrounding airspace.
The rules would affect a busy commercial airport, not only private aircraft near a residence. Approved traffic could continue, but pilots and operators would face additional procedures before crossing the zone.
A temporary security zone would become a standing flight rule
Officials put the temporary restrictions in place in October 2025. The new proposal would make that arrangement permanent through a Special Flight Rules Area.
The airport now operates under the name Donald J. Trump International Airport. Its former name was Palm Beach International Airport.
The zone would be centered on the residence rather than drawn around the entire airport. That design leaves the airport’s approved approach and departure traffic available while placing the surrounding airspace under tighter controls.
Aircraft would need to comply with the aviation agency’s security criteria. Authorized emergency, lifesaving and law-enforcement operations would retain access when they receive approval and maintain two-way radio contact where required.
The proposal has drawn competing concerns around the airport
Supporters describe the measure as a response to drone and aircraft threats near the president’s Florida residence. The security rationale comes from the threat intelligence cited in the request for permanent restrictions.
Critics have raised concerns about additional aircraft noise and burdens around a busy commercial airport. The proposed exceptions, however, would keep the airport usable for qualifying traffic.
The arrangement would create different rules for aircraft that serve the airport and aircraft that merely approach the protected area. Commercial operators could cross under approved procedures, while unauthorized aircraft and unmanned aircraft systems would remain the central security concern.
