AOPA Turns To DHS for Help on Lantana Airport

AOPA is asking the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to establish a security protocol for Palm Beach County Park Airport (aka Lantana Airport) in Florida to facilitate operations when President Donald Trump visits his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach. AOPA President Mark Baker wrote to DHS Secretary John Kelly, urging the adoption of screening and gateway procedures that would enable the airport to remain open during presidential visits.

The association is underscoring the economic hardship caused by the visits, estimating that operators lost $30,000 as a result of one recent three-day weekend visit by Trump to Mar-a-Lago. More than 250 people are employed full-time at companies based at the airport which accounts for annual community-wide revenue of $27 million, AOPA said.

Over the past couple of months, AOPA has made a number of requests to the FAA for an airspace cutout from the inner core of the temporary flight restriction airspace to accommodate Lantana Airport and has asked for a meeting to discuss the issue. AOPA also is seeking help from Sens. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), as well as Rep. Lois Frankel (D-Fla.).