Located about 50 miles north of Miami in the “Sunshine State” of Florida, West Palm Beach Airport (www.pbia.org)—with IATA and ICAO codes PBI and KPBI—serves the city of West Palm Beach. With around 130,000 residents, it is the second-largest city in the state after Miami. Just three miles east of the airport lies the “Mar-a-Lago Beach House,” the residence of the 45th and current 47th U.S. President, Donald J. Trump.
Unsurprisingly, the airport is set to be renamed after him. Republicans leading the Florida State Senate and House of Representatives passed a bill to this effect on February 19, 2026. Approval from Governor Ron DeSantis is considered certain. The airport operator was (naturally) not consulted. The former “Perimeter Road,” which runs south of the airport parallel to U.S. Route 98, has already been renamed “President Donald J. Trump Boulevard.”
History and Development
The airfield’s history began in 1936 as Morrison Field. From November 1940 to June 1947, the site was used for military purposes. The United States Air Force administration building was later converted by Palm Beach County into the first terminal. Due to the Korean War, the Air Force took over again from 1951 to 1959. During this period, civil air traffic was handled on the southern side of the field.
The current terminal was inaugurated in 1988, and the original terminal was demolished in 1991.
Infrastructure and Accessibility
The airport is accessible exclusively by vehicle—there are two parking garages with 5,500 spaces and open-air lots providing another 4,500 spaces. Bus line 44 of the local provider Palm Tran and Greyhound long-distance buses stop at the terminal.
Shuttle buses run from the terminal to the “West Palm Beach Station” located 2.5 miles northeast, which is served by Brightline on the route from Downtown Miami to Orlando Airport. Amtrak and Tri-Rail trains also stop here, providing connections to Chicago, New York, Miami Central, and Miami Airport.
Runways:
- 10L/28R: 10,000 x 150 feet (3,048 x 46 m)
- 10R/28L: 3,215 x 75 feet (980 x 23 m)
- 14/32: 6,932 x 150 feet (2,113 x 46 m)
Navigational Equipment:
| Runway | ILS | ALS | RNAV | TDZ | REIL | PAPI |
| 10L | CAT I | MALSR | Yes | – | Yes | Right |
| 10R | – | – | – | – | Yes | – |
| 14 | – | – | Yes | – | Yes | Right |
| 28L | – | – | Yes | – | Yes | Right |
| 28R | CAT I | – | Yes | – | Yes | Left |
| 32 | – | – | Yes | – | Yes | Left |
The DVOR/DME with VORTAC on Channel 104X (PALM BEACH PBI 115.70 MHz), located between taxiways D, E, K, and L, plays a role in conventional Standard Terminal Arrival Routes (STAR) like STOOP and TTYLER, as well as the Standard Instrument Departure (SID) PALM BEACH 4. Additionally, the VOR is integrated into several regional VICTOR (0 to 18,000 ft) and JET routes (above 18.000 ft).
Operations and Airlines
Fixed Based Operators (FBOs) on-site include Atlantic and Jet Aviation, along with Signature Aviation and NetJets as charter providers sharing a terminal. Gulfstream also maintains a repair facility at the airport.
The terminal, with Concourses A and B, features 28 gates with jetways and nine remote positions without passenger bridges. Three parking spots are designated on the cargo apron.
13 airlines serve 14 domestic U.S. destinations, Marsh Harbour in the Bahamas, plus Montreal and Toronto in Canada. The market leader is JetBlue Airways with about 28% of handled passengers, followed by Delta Air Lines (26%), American Airlines (19%), United Airlines (11%), and Southwest Airlines (7%). Ten other airlines share the remaining 9%.
2025 Statistics (Palm Beach County Department of Airports):
- Passengers: 11,045.536
- Cargo: 33,408 US Tons (~ 30,307 metric tons)
- General Aviation Movements: 91,301
- Commercial Movements: 67,790
Fire and rescue services are provided by Palm Beach County Fire Rescue (www.pbcfr.org). Fire Station 81, located opposite the terminal, is equipped with two 8×8 and two 4×4 ARFF vehicles. A unique asset is “RP81,” a Rescue vehicle combined with a Pumper, colloquially known as a “Rumper.”
The Simulation
The airport is available at SIMMARKET for approximately €22 for both MSFS 2020 and MSFS 2024: Verticalsim KPBI Palm Beach Intl – SIMMARKET
Installation is handled via the Contrail app (getcontrail.com). The download size is 1.87 GB, expanding to nearly 3.7 GB when installed.
Visuals and Execution
The integration into the water-rich surroundings and the low-rise suburban architecture is exceptionally well-done. On approach from the east, players will notice Verticalsim’s hand-crafted Driveshack (mini-golf complex) and the Hilton and Home2 hotels.
The airport layout matches current satellite imagery perfectly. Aprons, taxiways, and runways are accurately modeled and textured, including realistic signage and ground markings.
Ground-based nav-aids like the Doppler VOR and the localizer/glide slope transmitters for 10L/28R are correctly placed. Approach lighting (MALSR) on 10L/28R features working “rabbits” (sequenced flashing lights), and REILs are present on 10R/28L, 14/32, and 28R.
Jetways are animated and dock correctly to player and AI aircraft. The terminal interiors and the FBO buildings for NetJets/Signature are modeled with transparent windows.
Known Issues
In MSFS 2024, the apron lighting at the terminal and concourses appeared slightly too bright during testing. Additionally, the physical housings for all PAPI lights are currently missing. The developer confirmed that the brightness reflects real-world conditions and that the missing housings are a simulator-side limitation expected to be addressed in the upcoming Sim Update 5 (SU5) for MSFS 2024.
GSX Pro Profile
Verticalsim includes a GSX Pro profile by “Lt. Mulder,” which can also be installed via the Contrail app.
Recommendation
For MSFS 2024 users, “salasnet” has released “Florida Waterfixes” on flightsim.to (Link). This fixes several shoreline and water mesh issues, ensuring that landmarks like the South Boulevard Bridge to Mar-a-Lago are no longer submerged.
Conclusion
Well done, Verticalsim! The label stays true to its high quality standards, delivering a detailed and authentic airport experience.
With KPBI, flight simmers now have a high-quality “triple” in South Florida: Miami (MIA/KMIA) by Glideslope Pro*, Fort Lauderdale (FLL/KFLL) by LatinVFR, and now West Palm Beach. This proximity is perfect for short hops or the many commercial routes operating daily in the region.
Palm Beach International is a completely non-political “deal” for fans of U.S. aviation. High recommendation and the simFlight Gold Medal for KPBI!
Bert Groner February 2026
Navigation Charts
- Freeware: Airnav KPBI
- Payware: Navigraph
* Glideslope Pro is the successor to the AmSim label. According to FS Reviews, Glideslope Pro has no connection to the previous issues surrounding “Beautiful Model of the World” (BMW).
