Florida’s Palm Beach Airport is getting a new name — it’s now President Donald J. Trump International Airport | Today’s news
Palm Beach International Airport was officially renamed President Donald J. Trump International Airport on Thursday, becoming the latest public institution to bear the name of a US president.
The move honors Trump in his adopted home state of Florida, where his Mar-a-Lago resort is located, and follows legislation signed earlier this year by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to approve the name change.
Airport Adopts New Code ‘DJT’
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) changed the airport’s three-letter identifier from PBI to DJT on Thursday.
However, passengers will continue to use the PBI code when booking flights until August 18, when the new airport-specific identifier will be fully integrated into airline reservation systems, tickets and baggage tags.
Airport officials said the renaming project cost approximately $5.5 million.
Eric Trump will arrive on the first flight
Donald Trump’s son, Eric Trump, was among the first passengers to arrive at the newly renamed airport, landing on a private jet in the early hours of Thursday morning.
In an interview with Fox News, Eric Trump welcomed the move, saying, “I don’t think there is anyone in all of Florida who is more synonymous with Palm Beach than Donald Trump.”
He later joked, “There’s no way in hell I let UPS land first.”
Part of a broader effort to expand Trump’s legacy
The renaming of the airport is the latest in a series of initiatives that have associated Trump’s name with public institutions, government programs and infrastructure during his second term.
Since returning to the White House last year, Trump’s name has been linked to a planned class of US Navy warships, a visa program for wealthy foreign investors, a government-run prescription drug website and federal savings accounts for children.
His administration also sought to reshape federal institutions in Washington. While Trump’s name was added to the United States Institute of Peace building, attempts to rename the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts were rejected by the courts.
The airport joins the list of politically named facilities
Palm Beach Airport now joins several US airports named after prominent political figures.
Examples include the airport in Little Rock, Arkansas, named after former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, although it has retained its original airport code of LIT.
Other airports across the United States have also been renamed in honor of former lawmakers, including facilities in Las Vegas and San Jose, California.
