Florida communities sue FAA over year-round no-fly zone near Mar-a-Lago

Palm Beach County, West Palm Beach and the Town of Palm Beach have sued the Federal Aviation Administration in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit over a permanent flight restriction zone around President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate.

The no-fly zone has been in effect since October 2025. It covers a one-nautical-mile radius around the property up to 2,000 feet and applies whether or not the president is there. Before this, restrictions only kicked in while Trump was actually at the residence.

The change has forced adjustments to flight paths at the nearby airport, formerly known as Palm Beach International Airport and now called Trump International Airport. Local officials say more than 6,000 noise complaints have been filed since the rule took effect, affecting roughly 20,000 residents whose routes have changed.

The plaintiffs say the FAA acted at the request of the Secret Service without properly assessing the impact or following administrative and environmental law requirements. Palm Beach County has reportedly raised its legal budget for the case to around $622,500.

The case turns on whether the FAA followed proper procedure in making the restriction permanent, not on the security rationale behind it. No ruling has yet been reported.