Airports boss: Trump visits will hurt Lantana facility
Whenever Trump is at Mar-a-Lago, airport will be all but shut down.
WEST PALM BEACH — Aviators who use the Lantana airport, and businesses that operate at it, will pay dearly for new President Donald Trump’s vacations at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, county commissioners heard Tuesday.
But the county’s aviation chief said the final word in this case isn’t with the count y, or even the nation’s commander in chief. It’s the Secret Service. And that agency isn’t budging.
Airports Director Bruce Pelly told a County Commission workshop on Tuesday he plans to press the Secret Service and the federal Transportation Security Administration for “whatever we can do to get Lantana functioning.” But, he said, “They’re telling us what can and cannot happen.”
Commissioners voted 6-0 to have county staff formally ask the federal government to soften its restrictions and to have county people in Washington lobby for assistance as well.
“We’re going to try to do everyt hi ng we c a n to mit i g ate t he impact on the aviation commu- Get more news about Palm Beach County at nity,” Pelly said. “These people are paying customers.”
He said he asked the federal agencies if they would install a temporary control tower at Lantana, which would provide more scrutiny for private planes and could ease the strict limits. Pelly said the Secret Service wasn’t keen on the idea.
The federal government said severe air traffic restrictions will be in place when Trump is at what he calls his “winter White House.” Lantana, listed as one of the nation’s 10 busiest general aviation airports, effectively will shut down. And general aviation at a dozen airports from Martin County to Fort Lauderdale, including Palm Beach International, will be heavily restricted.
In a Dec. 15 letter to Trump, Aircraft Owners and Pilots Associa-