More Details Emerge on Presidential TFR at PBI

At an NBAA Regional Forum this month, Robert Berlucchi, the FAA’s air traffic manager at Florida’s Palm Beach International Airport (PBI), provided more details about the presidential TFR when President Trump is at his Mar-a-Lago residence. The TFR, which is active only when Trump is at his Florida residence, was developed by the Secret Service, TSA, Palm Beach airport authority, and FAA, with input from NBAA, he said.

Berlucchi noted that the less-restrictive 30-nautical-mile outer ring will affect Fort Lauderdale Executive and Stuart Airports, but Lantana Airport “will be the most affected” under the TFR, because it is within the more restrictive 10-nautical-mile ring. In fact, when the TFR is active, no operations will be allowed at the airport except for arrivals from gateway airports. Berlucchi said the Secret Service is aware of the effect this will have on the “good guys,” but said that—in the short term—there is no solution to provide TSA screening at Lantana.

He noted that the NBAA initially proposed 10 gateway airports for arrivals into the inner ring, but ultimately only five were selected. The three long-distance gateways—Westchester County and Teterboro near New York City and Washington Dulles—are part of a “test program.” More gateways will be looked at, and there is dialog among the parties to expand TSA screenings at the gateways and PBI beyond the current 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. schedule.

When the TFR and Runways 10L, 10R, and 14 at PBI are active, business aircraft arrivals will be unchanged, but departures will be given headings to avoid a one-nautical-mile “buffer ring” around Mar-a-Lago. However, the TFR will have a much greater impact when aircraft are arriving from the east, limiting business aircraft to 6,500-foot Runway 32. There is a modified visual approach to Runway 28R when the TFR is active, but for the time being it is for airline use only.