South Florida airport renamed President Donald J. Trump International Airport
Palm Beach International Airport became President Donald J. Trump International Airport as FAA codes shifted from PBI and KPBI to DJT and KDJT.
Palm Beach International Airport became President Donald J. Trump International Airport on Thursday after federal approval cleared the name change and the identifier shift from PBI to DJT. The Federal Aviation Administration also changed the airport’s ICAO code from KPBI to KDJT, putting the South Florida facility in the middle of a naming fight that has stretched from Tallahassee to Palm Beach County.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the legislation on March 30, 2026, and the change took effect July 9. The airport says the move changes only the name. Ownership, day-to-day operations and governance remain with Palm Beach County, which continues to control the airport under the same local framework. The airport’s own FAQ says the law also preempted local authority over naming major commercial service airports and required county officials to carry out the change.
The FAA said the rebranding could require updates to certificates, authorizing documents and other information systems because the airport identifier changed with the name. Airport branding and website materials already reflect the new name, and the airport’s flight-status pages now use President Donald J. Trump International Airport. That makes the change visible well beyond a formal sign swap, with the new title now embedded in the airport’s public-facing systems.
The rename also carries unusual national weight. It is the first time a U.S. airport has been named after a sitting president, a distinction that has sharpened scrutiny over whether the change reflects broad local consensus or the power of a Republican governor and a state legislature in a state where Donald J. Trump remains highly influential. Palm Beach County commissioners approved a related naming and licensing deal in a 4-3 vote before the change took effect, and local coverage noted that the arrangement gave the Trump Organization uncommon oversight over branding and merchandise tied to the airport name.
For passengers arriving in West Palm Beach, the change is now official on signs, websites and aviation systems. For the county, the airport remains a public asset under local ownership, but its name has become a new marker in Florida’s broader political landscape.
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