Palm Beach airport gets Trump name and DJT code
The West Palm Beach airport is now President Donald J. Trump International Airport, with its FAA identifier changing from PBI to DJT.
By Frankie Delgado · News Reporter
3 min read
The airport serving West Palm Beach, Florida, is now named President Donald J. Trump International Airport, the Federal Aviation Administration said, putting the president’s initials on a major South Florida travel hub.
The facility, formerly Palm Beach International Airport, made the change effective Thursday, according to the FAA. CNBC reported that it is the first airport to be named after a sitting U.S. president.
The renaming also brings a code change. The airport’s FAA location identifier is moving from PBI to DJT as part of the transition, while the International Air Transport Association code change is scheduled for Aug. 18, according to the airport and the FAA.
United Airlines and Delta Air Lines began adding the DJT code to their booking systems Thursday, CNBC reported. Travelers searching for flights can still use PBI to find the airport during the switch.
Signs, systems and a $5.5 million switch
The airport said in an online FAQ that new signs, branding and public-facing materials will be updated in stages. The airport put the estimated cost of the name change at $5.5 million.
Florida has set aside $2.75 million for the project, according to the airport’s FAQ. The rest will come from the local Department of Airports’ operating budget and capital improvement program.
The name change followed a bill signed earlier this year by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. The FAA later approved the move, according to CNBC.
More than a dozen airlines serve the airport. Delta, United, American Airlines and Southwest Airlines are among the carriers flying there, according to CNBC.
A familiar runway for Trump
The airport is close to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach. CNBC reported that the president flies in and out of the airport fairly often.
Eric Trump wrote on X that Trump Force One, the nickname for the private jet owned by the Trump Organization, would be the first plane to land at the newly renamed airport.
“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.
The airport acknowledged in its FAQ that travelers may have mixed reactions to the change.
“While we recognize that the required name change may be received in different ways by our passengers, we’re grateful for your continued support through this transition period,” the airport wrote. “While some things may evolve over time, our core focus remains the same: providing a safe, reliable and welcoming airport experience.”
For passengers, the immediate takeaway is practical: the airport has a new name, the DJT identifier is entering airline systems, and the old PBI search term still works for now.
This story draws on original reporting from CNBC.