Palm Beach International Airport is officially history.
As of Thursday, the South Florida gateway has a new name: President Donald J. Trump International Airport, marking the first time a U.S. airport has been named after a sitting president.
The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed the change, with the airport beginning a phased rollout of new signs, branding and public-facing materials. Travelers will also notice a major change behind the scenes. The airport’s FAA identifier is switching from PBI to DJT, while the International Air Transport Association’s code will officially become DJT on Aug. 18. Until then, travelers can still search for flights using the familiar PBI code.
Major airlines, including United and Delta, have already begun updating their reservation systems to reflect the transition.
Eric Trump made sure the Trump family was part of the airport’s first chapter under its new name. Flying aboard Trump Force One, he said the aircraft became the first to land at the newly renamed airport shortly after 5 a.m. Thursday.
“There’s no way in hell I was letting UPS be the first plane to land,” Eric Trump joked during an appearance on Fox & Friends.
He called the renaming a fitting tribute, saying, “I don’t think there’s anybody more synonymous with Palm Beach than Donald Trump.”
The airport has served Palm Beach County under its previous name for nearly 50 years. The rebranding reflects President Trump’s longstanding ties to the region, where his Mar-a-Lago estate sits just a few miles away and where he has frequently traveled throughout his business career, presidential campaigns and time in office.
Eric Trump also noted that Trump Force One carried his father throughout multiple presidential campaigns, calling it a symbolic choice to usher in the airport’s new era.
