Palm Beach Airport in Florida Is Renamed for Trump
Palm Beach International Airport in Florida is now President Donald J. Trump International Airport.
The name change became official on Thursday morning, the Federal Aviation Administration announced. Eric Trump, Mr. Trump’s son and the executive vice president of the Trump Organization, shared a video on social media in which an air traffic controller is heard announcing the name change to the pilots of the president’s private Boeing 757 as it approached the airport for a landing just after 5 a.m.
“As a son, and someone who flies out of this airport nearly every day, I will forever be proud to see the initials ‘DJT’ on my boarding pass,” Eric Trump wrote in a separate post.
The airport’s three-letter code will not change to DJT from PBI until Aug. 18, according to airport officials.
Travelers will see the airport’s previous branding and new signage during a transition period that will last several weeks, airport officials said. The rollout of the new name would not disrupt airport operations, they said.
“We’re working behind the scenes to update our physical signage, terminal spaces, and digital channels to our new name: President Donald J. Trump International Airport,” the airport said on social media.
The airport sits a few miles from Mar-a-Lago, Mr. Trump’s private club and residence in Palm Beach, which has served as a hub for his political operations.
Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida, a Republican, signed a bill in March clearing the path for the airport to be renamed. Democratic state lawmakers opposed the measure, which the Legislature approved in February, arguing that it would cost about $5 million to update signs, maps and other airport materials to reflect the name change.
The New York Times reported in February that Mr. Trump’s family business had filed trademark applications for potential airport names with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The applications staked a claim to three names: President Donald J. Trump International Airport, Donald J. Trump International Airport and the airport code DJT.
The applications also sought the right to use the name in connection with a variety of airport-themed merchandise, including luggage, animal carriers and “shoes for protection of airline passengers’ feet during airport security screening.”
Renaming the airport for Mr. Trump attaches his name to a gateway that is used by millions of visitors each year.
“The Area is HOT, the Location is GREAT, and the Renovation will be SPECTACULAR,” Mr. Trump wrote in a social media post on Thursday evening, adding that the airport will soon be one of the “Greatest and Most Spectacular Airports anywhere in the World!”
Mr. Trump has a long history of putting his name on the things he has built, owns or promotes, a list that includes Trump Tower and his golf resorts and hotels. As president, he has reached beyond his private businesses. For nearly six months starting in December, Mr. Trump’s name was added to facade of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington until a judge ordered its removal in May. His signature is expected to appear on U.S. dollars later this year.
