A bomb threat was reported Sunday at Donald J. Trump International Airport in West Palm Beach, triggering a heavy law enforcement response that slowed traffic and delayed travelers heading into the terminal. President Donald Trump remained in West Palm Beach Sunday and was scheduled to depart from the airport later in the day. Authorities had not released additional details about the threat as of Sunday afternoon.
The threat was reported to the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office and was expected to impact flights at the airport, according to CBS12. Law enforcement was investigating a suspicious phone call, per WPTV, which reported that the sheriff's office slowed traffic entering the terminal as a precaution, warning that travelers could face delays.
Terminal Traffic Blocked, Passengers Walk In
As a precaution, the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office slowed traffic entering the terminal and redirected vehicles in the surrounding area, according to WPBF, which described a significant law enforcement presence building Sunday afternoon at the airport, formerly known as Palm Beach International Airport. Airport officials told the station that travelers may experience delays while the investigation continued.
A witness told WPTV that the airport's arrivals and departures area was blocked off to vehicle traffic. Some passengers, worried about missing their flights, got out of their cars along Belvedere Boulevard and walked the rest of the way toward the terminal, the station reported. The airport urged people to report any suspicious activity directly to law enforcement and thanked travelers for their patience and cooperation, per the same report.
Second Bomb Threat in Months
Sunday's incident marked at least the second bomb threat at the airport since it was renamed for the president earlier this year. In July, Palm Beach County deputies investigated a bomb threat at the airport that briefly closed I-95 exits, according to the Palm Beach Post. That threat came in as a call around 7:13 a.m. threatening to bomb an airport, per WFLX, prompting deputies to search for explosives and suspicious packages. The sheriff's office found none, and the station reported the airport was soon operating normally again.
A separate scare unfolded in April 2024, when Terminals A and B were shut down after a suspicious item was found in the baggage area, according to CBS12. The owner of the item was soon located, and the airport reopened as normal, the outlet reported at the time. None of those earlier incidents has been established as connected to Sunday's threat.
Heightened Security Around Trump's Visit
Sunday's disruption came amid tightened airspace restrictions tied to Trump's presence in Palm Beach County. The Federal Aviation Administration had planned presidential-level VIP temporary flight restrictions over Mar-a-Lago from Oct. 16 through Oct. 18, according to the Palm Beach Post. Those restrictions reportedly included an inner ring with a 10-nautical-mile radius where most flights are banned, with Boca Raton Airport falling within the broader 30-nautical-mile outer ring.
As of Sunday afternoon, authorities had not released further information about who made the threatening call or what prompted the suspicious-activity report at the terminal. The investigation remained active, with the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office continuing to manage traffic flow near the airport while travelers waited for updates on delayed flights.
