The FAA’s recent order banning all aircraft from operating within 1 nm of President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort is causing headaches in Palm Beach and neighboring West Palm Beach, where residents say rerouted commercial flights are keeping them up at night and even rattling their Florida homes.
West Palm Beach City Commissioner Christina Lambert addressed widespread complaints from residents at a public meeting on Monday, according to WPEC-TV. She said the city was not given prior notice of the FAA’s decision and learned about it when the general public did.
“I want residents to know, we hear you,” Lambert said. “The constant noise. We also hear the late night flights, even the soot on windows. It’s disruptive and unacceptable.”
The situation is particularly worrying for those who own or rent older homes and buildings, which can be more susceptible to damage from vibrations caused by aircraft. City officials said commercial flights are now regularly passing over old and historic neighborhoods like Grandview Heights, Flamingo Park, and El Cid.
Lambert said West Palm Beach Mayor Keith James sent a letter to the FAA and the U.S. Secret Service calling out the lack of communication.
The FAA imposed the flight ban in a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) issued on October 18. It cited “special security reasons” and did not elaborate.
The ban will stay in place until at least October 20, 2026.
Community Backlash
In a statement, the town of Palm Beach acknowledged that the new restrictions had forced airlines to change how they approach and depart from Palm Beach International Airport (KPBI), sending flights into “historically quieter neighborhoods.” The town also sent a letter of complaint to the FAA.
Palm Beach and West Palm Beach residents who have spoken at city and county-level meetings and to WPEC said the noise and vibrations from aircraft are ruining their quality of life and possibly causing damage to their property.
“I can attest to how horrific this is for our neighborhood,” one woman said. “The noise is crazy.”
“This area is historic. We are not prepared to have low-flying aircraft over here,” another longtime resident said. “The structures can’t handle it, and therefore, the people who are living in them can’t handle it either. There’s a huge impact in this area, and we don’t deserve this.”
U.S. Representative Lois Frankel, who represents the area, told WPEC that flight path changes around Palm Beach International have caused complaints before but not at this level.
“I’ve talked to neighbors—it’s bad,” Frankel said. “The usual flight patterns have been scattered but when you have one flight pattern, the neighborhoods north of the airport are getting all the traffic coming in and going out…It’s a lot of noise because the planes are constantly flying. And it’ll get worse during the season, because obviously this is paradise for a lot of people.”
The FAA occasionally banned flying over Mar-a-Lago during Trump’s first term in office, but those restrictions usually came into effect when the president was at the resort. This new ban remains in place 24 hours, seven days a week until its expiration, even when the president is not there.
