One Of Florida's Major Airports Could Soon Be Renamed After President Donald Trump

This summer, travelers accessing Florida's Treasure Coast will very likely be flying into the President Donald J. Trump International Airport. It's the latest in a growing list of properties to be rebranded with the president's name. The legislation, recently signed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, will rename Palm Beach International Airport (PBI) after the sitting president. The name is expected to become permanent on July 1 after the Federal Aviation Administration completes the proper paperwork.

The medium-sized airport, located near the Trump-owned Mar-a-Lago estate, first opened in 1936 and served as an airfield along Florida's Atlantic Coast. Today, PBI welcomes more than 7 million passengers each year. Its location has made it a popular hub for tourists looking to explore the state's Atlantic beach towns, like Delray Beach, Florida's "village by the sea" that rivals the Caribbean. In all, 13 airlines utilize the airport with over 200 daily arrivals and departures.

The name change will also update the airport's identifier code to "DJT." The Florida Senate's budget outlined $2.75 million to cover the cost of operational changes and branding updates to the existing airport, reports Politico. That number is considerably less than the original proposed amount, which was reportedly $5.5 million. 

The new airport moniker has stirred very different reactions from each side of the political aisle. In a post on X, the Republican Party of Florida called it a "landmark tribute" that recognizes the first president to hail from Florida. Brian Mast, the U.S. Representative who introduced the name change legislation, said in a press release that "this designation reflects our gratitude for [Trump's] public service and leadership."

But Florida Democratic Leader Fentrice Driskell had a much different reacation. Driskell said in a statement that taxpayer money "is being misused to celebrate the man who caused gas prices to rise to over four dollars a gallon, grocery costs to shoot up, and health care prices to spike." She continued, "Republicans are out of touch when it comes to the real issues impacting Floridians. The people of Florida did not ask for this," (via CNY Central).

Regardless of one's political affiliation, it appears that the name change is imminent. The Federal Aviation Administration told CBS News that changing an airport's name is a local issue and not subject to the agency's approval. The change is also not expected to impact the airport's operations, so passengers can continue to utilize it to visit any number of popular Florida tourist attractions and beautiful towns worth a weekend getaway. According to a statement from PBI, the airport will remain under the governance of Palm Beach County, Florida, and the upcoming changes should not negatively impact the experience of travelers. New airport signage and branding will be installed in phases after July 1, 2026.