https://www.wpbf.com/article/florida-passengers-drive-across-palm-beach-international-airport-runway/448(scanned the ground/ops freqs and nothing heard about it. Welcome to Florida)
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. —
Two people were detained by sheriff’s deputies and agents with the Transportation Security Administration after they drove their rental car across multiple active runways at Palm Beach International Airport Tuesday.
Investigators said a father and son landed in a private plane at Atlantic Aviation and a rental car from Go Rentals met them on the tarmac. But instead of leaving the airport, the father and son turned the wrong direction and drove all the way to the commercial gates. “I could see how this could happen very easily,” said aviation expert John Nance.
Nance has been a pilot for more than 50 years.
He said it’s common for rental car agencies to bring cars directly But he said part of that service is supposed to be making sure the client leaves in the right direction.
“It’s not the situation in regards to the car,” Nance said. “It’s the instructions that were given to the individual.”
Airport officials are saying the same thing, issuing a statement that blamed the incident on Go Rentals for not escorting the rental car off of airport property.
A spokesperson for the airport said Go Rentals’ permit to operate at the airport has been revoked.
Atlantic Aviation is also facing discipline as the airport suspended the security clearances of all employees who were involved in the incident.
The airport is also requiring all Atlantic Aviation employees to undergo safety training.
Nance said an incident like this is extremely rare but is also something pilots prepare for and are trained to avoid.
“In the commercial aviation world, that’s one of the things that we pull on each other in the simulators quite a bit, truck on the runway,” he said.
The sheriff’s office said the two people in the rental car will not face charges since it appears to have been an honest mistake.
Wednesday night, Atlantic Aviation released a statement to WPBF 25 News.
"Safety and security are of utmost importance for our customers, vendors, airport partners and employees," the statement read. "We are cooperating fully with the airport administration and relevant authorities on their investigations, and we will work closely with the airport to review all vendor and third-party protocols to ensure an incident of this type could not occur in future."
