Small airport owners say Trump visits are hurting business

<p>The owners of some small airports in New Jersey say that they are losing business due to flight restrictions that are issued when President Donald Trump stays at his Bedminster golf resort.</p>

News 12 Staff

Aug 6, 2018, 9:52 PM

Updated 2,333 days ago

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The owners of some small airports in New Jersey say that they are losing business due to flight restrictions that are issued when President Donald Trump stays at his Bedminster golf resort.
The temporary flight restriction is in effect until Aug. 13. The restrictions encompass a more than 30-mile radius around the golf resort and impact 23 airports in New Jersey.
“The part that makes me want to cry is that nobody cares,” says Alexandria Airfield owner Linda Castner.
Castner says that the restrictions are affecting her skydiving business. She says that since skydiving is seasonal, the restrictions are crippling.
“All of a sudden, one day ahead, you get a notice that Trump’s coming and you can’t jump. Now they have to call 80 to 100 people and say, ‘I know you don’t understand this completely, but we’re not going to be able to fly this weekend to jump you because we’re under restrictions. We are not allowed to take the aircraft up while the president is in Bedminster.’ When you do that over and over again to people, they don’t come back,” Castner says.
Only three airports near President Donald Trump's personal properties will be reimbursed by the federal government for financial losses - Somerset Airport, Solberg Airport and Mar-a-Lago in Florida.  
Castner says that she and other airport owners plan to challenge the decision.