As part of a state-approved move to honor the U.S. president, a South Florida airport on Thursday officially changed its name to President Donald J. Trump International Airport, which replaced the longtime Palm Beach International Airport name.The change took effect after Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed legislation authorizing the name change earlier this year. Airport officials said the change would take several weeks, with the old and new branding temporarily co-existing throughout the terminal.“Since the transformation of an entire airport doesn’t happen overnight, you’ll see a combination of both our classic look and our new brand elements as you travel through the terminal over the next several weeks,” the airport said in a Facebook post.
trump force one First arrival of the airport under the new name
The first plane to land after the name change was “Trump Force One”, a Boeing 757 owned by the Trump Organization. The plane carrying President Donald Trump’s son Eric Trump arrived just after 5 a.m.The Trump family frequently uses the airport when visiting the president’s Palm Beach residence, Mar-a-Lago. Earlier this year, the road connecting the airport to the estate was also named President Donald J Trump Boulevard.Celebrating the occasion, Eric Trump wrote on Twitter, “There is no person who has done more for Florida and our country, and no one deserves this incredible honor.”He said he would be proud to see the airport’s new code “DJT” on his boarding pass.While the airport’s official name changed on Thursday, its three-letter airport code will remain PBI until August 18, when it will officially change to DJT, according to news agency AP.
Trump praised the name change on Truth Social
President Trump also welcomed the move in a post on Truth Social, calling it “a huge day” for Palm Beach.“The area is hot, the location is great, and the renovation will be spectacular,” Trump wrote, adding that it would become “one of the greatest and most spectacular airports anywhere in the world!”The name change, including new signage, branding and other infrastructure updates, is expected to cost up to $5.5 million.Airport officials have already begun removing Palm Beach International Airport signs while installing new branding in the facility area.
Passengers divided on decision
There were mixed reactions from passengers on changing the name.Keegan Collett, a passenger heading to Cincinnati, told the AP he was surprised by the change.“At the end of the day, it’s just an airport name. There are bigger things going on. I think it’s just a distraction.”Meanwhile, corporate pilot Chris Bailey welcomed the move, saying Trump had “certainly done enough to justify naming an airport after it”, news agency AFP quoted him as saying.However, Dr. John Manov criticized the decision. “Palm Beach is a better brand. People really don’t like Donald Trump. It seems to be in bad taste.”
Part of a broader effort to honor Trump
The airport is being renamed amid a broader effort by Trump supporters to place the president’s name on public infrastructure.The same day, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Besant joined Republican lawmakers in Tennessee to unveil the Donald J. Trump Bridge over Interstate 40.Several government events and venues have also recently adopted the Trump name or branding.Critics have argued that the growing number of Trump-branded public institutions resemble personality cults often associated with authoritarian governments, while supporters say the honors reflect his political legacy.Eric Trump rejected criticism of the airport renaming, telling Fox News, “Anything that’s named after us is a little bit controversial.”He said his father felt “honored” and “humbled” by the recognition.