It appears more and more likely that President Donald Trump soon will visit his Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, a visit that would prompt the closure of a busy road.
Temporary flight restrictions of the level implemented when the president travels are expected from Oct. 17-19, the Boca Raton Airport Authority said in an Oct. 9 notice emailed to its tenants.
Trump is scheduled to be the keynote speaker at a fundraiser for super PAC MAGA Inc. on Oct. 17 at Mar-a-Lago, CNN reported.
The Federal Aviation Administration on Oct. 9 did not respond to a request for confirmation, with that agency citing the ongoing government shutdown in “not responding to routine media inquiries.”
As of 10 a.m. Oct. 9, the FAA has not issued a safety notice to caution pilots that the flight restrictions were coming. The restrictions themselves typically are posted within a week of their scheduled start time.
The U.S. Secret Service declined to comment on the president’s schedule. Palm Beach officials also declined to comment. The White House did not respond to an emailed request for comment on Oct. 8.
“In general, residents, businesses and commuters should be advised that road closures on S. Ocean Boulevard can be expected during the open season of the Mar-a-Lago Club when President Trump is in residence,” a Secret Service spokesperson previously told the Daily News. “Residents and businesses can anticipate similar traffic restrictions and processes that were in effect earlier this year. Specific road closures and traffic impacts will be communicated by the Palm Beach Police Department.”
Palm Beach will coordinate with the Secret Service, Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office and other partners to make sure there is a traffic plan whenever Trump does return to Palm Beach, Town Manager Kirk Blouin said. He did not comment on the possibility of a visit by Trump to Mar-a-Lago.
Trump has visited Mar-a-Lago 10 times since taking office on Jan. 20. His most recent visit to the island was from May 1-4.
The VIP-level temporary flight restrictions issued by the FAA for presidential travel — any president, to any location in the United States — include a set of rules for aviators to follow. Pilots don’t follow those rules could be penalized or even intercepted by F-16 fighter jets.
The “VIP movement” flight restrictions issued for Trump’s visits to Palm Beach include two rings of protection.
The inner ring is a 10 nautical mile radius where most flights are banned with the exception of approved law enforcement and air ambulance or other emergency flights, and regularly scheduled cargo and commercial passenger jets, according to FAA advisories. All emergency operations have to coordinate with air traffic control before take-off.
More movement is allowed with the 30 nm radius area, or outer ring, of the temporary flight restrictions. Aircraft can pass through but “not loiter,” FAA advisories say. All aircraft that do pass through the outer ring must have a specific flight plan filed with air traffic control, which will issue the plane a code. The pilot has to stay in contact with air traffic control throughout their time passing through the restricted area, the FAA says.
The Boca Raton Airport is within the 30 nm outer ring of the expected upcoming temporary flight restrictions, the airport authority said in its notice.
The authority also reminded tenants that such restrictions can change at the last minute, and pilots and crews should check flight safety notices frequently.
Kristina Webb is a reporter for Palm Beach Daily News, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach her at kwebb@pbdailynews.com. Subscribe today to support our journalism.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: See when new advisory indicates President Trump will visit his Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach
Reporting by Kristina Webb, Palm Beach Daily News / Palm Beach Daily News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
