A South Florida travel hub has officially transitioned its identity, marking a significant change as the Palm Beach International Airport is now the President Donald J. Trump International Airport. The transition began on Thursday with the removal of the classic signage and the installation of new branding. Airport officials noted in a Facebook post, “Because an entire airport transformation doesn’t happen overnight, you’ll notice a combination of both our classic look and our new brand elements coexisting while traveling through the terminal over the next several weeks.”
The first aircraft to arrive under the new name was “Trump Force One,” a Boeing 757 owned by The Trump Organisation, which touched down shortly after 5 am. Among the passengers was Eric Trump, son of the president, whose family frequently utilizes the airport when traveling to the nearby Mar-a-Lago estate. Expressing his support, Eric Trump posted on X that he is proud to see the “DJT” initials on his boarding pass, adding that no one is more deserving of the honor for their service to Florida and the country.
While the name change is now in effect, the official three-letter airport code is scheduled to shift from PBI to DJT on August 18. This rebranding, which follows the earlier renaming of a local road to Donald J. Trump Boulevard, was made possible through legislation signed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. The total cost for the transition—including new signage, branding, and system updates—is estimated to reach as high as $5.5 million.
Public reaction has been mixed. Keegan Collett, a traveler departing for Cincinnati, expressed surprise at the change. While he stated he does not believe the honor is deserved, he noted that he is not significantly bothered by the move, characterizing it as a distraction rather than a central issue. Meanwhile, in Dandridge, Tennessee, officials including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and several federal lawmakers gathered to rename the I-40 Bridge to the Donald J. Trump Bridge, noting that Trump received 82% of the vote in Jefferson County during the 2024 general election.
This renaming trend represents a departure from traditional American political practices as the president continues to place his name and image in official spaces. Since returning to the White House, Trump has taken repeated measures to put his name and image in official spaces, an abrupt break with American political tradition. In a related legal matter, a federal judge recently rejected an attempt by the Kennedy Centre board and the Justice Department to stop the removal of Donald Trump’s name from the performing arts venue, with Judge Christopher Cooper ordering the name to be taken down from the building.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed legislation earlier this year that made the name change possible. Changing the airport’s name is expected to cost as much as $5.5 million (€4.8 million) for new signs, branding and other updates.
“At the end of the day, it’s just the name of an airport,” Collett said. "There’s bigger things. I feel like it’s just more of a distraction. Why even worry about it?"
