Palm Beach International Airport has officially been renamed after Donald Trump and the president has wasted no time in predicting it will become “the greatest in the world”, despite its being only the 51st largest in the U.S. and only the third busiest in the Miami metropolitan area.
“A very big day in Palm Beach, Florida, where it was my Great Honor to have the Palm Beach International Airport be renamed, by a spectacular vote, The President Donald J. Trump International Airport,” Trump beamed on Truth Social.
“The Area is HOT, the Location is GREAT, and the Renovation will be SPECTACULAR. Thank you to all in Palm Beach for your Vote and your Confidence. This will soon be one of the Greatest and Most Spectacular Airports anywhere in the World!”
The renaming occurred on the same day that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent unveiled a new Donald J Trump Bridge in East Tennessee, as the administration’s appetite for rebranding showed no sign of let-up.
Despite Trump’s obvious pride in the honor, Palm Beach International served just over 4.25 million passengers in 2025, according to the Federal Aviation Administration, meaning it pales in comparison with airports named after other presidents.
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Washington, D.C., for instance, is the country’s 28th largest and served 12 million people last year.
George Bush International Airport in Houston, Texas, flew 23.26 million and is 15th while John F Kennedy International Airport in New York, in 6th place, carried almost 31 million passengers to and fro.
The largest airport in the U.S. is Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Georgia, which served 51.46 million people last year, making it more than 10 times bigger than Trump’s.
The hub formerly known as Palm Beach International even lies in third place locally, behind Miami International Airport and Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport, according to Fly XO.
What’s more, not everyone will be required to refer to the facility under its new name, according to a report.
Flight attendants have been given latitude to welcome travelers to “West Palm Beach” instead, an industry expert said.
“I’ve also been told that flight attendants will be given leeway to say ‘Welcome to West Palm Beach,’ rather than 'Welcome to Donald J Trump International Airport’,” Henry Harteveldt, airline industry analyst at Atmosphere Research Group, told CBS News.
The South Florida airport officially adopted its new monicker Thursday as a result of a change enacted by the state’s legislature in honor of a president with a well-known penchant for naming things after himself.
A law signed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in March changed the airport’s official name as of July 9 but Palm Beach International clarified that the transition would involve updating signage, branding and other public-facing materials.
Signs welcoming people to the airport have since been updated to reflect the new name.
However, until the airport’s three-letter international code officially changes from “PBI” to “DJT” on August 18, airport systems and passenger services will be permitted to continue to use “PBI” or “Palm Beach International Airport” to refer to it.
Next month, the airport’s official code will change with the International Air Transport Association, the organization that represents more than 300 airlines accounting for 85 percent of air travel.
Once that change is made, airline reservation systems, ticketing, baggage tags and other related matters will finally show “DJT” instead of “PBI.”
Harteveldt said airlines have “hard coding” implemented into services and systems to ensure passengers and bags go to the correct airport.
“Airlines have told me that, at least initially, people who use the PBI code on their websites to search for flights will be directed to flights from what will now be called DJT,” he said.
The Independent has asked Palm Beach International Airport for comment.
To mark the renaming, the president’s personal jet, dubbed “Trump Force One,” became the first plane to land on its runway at 5:01 a.m. ET Thursday.
Eric Trump, the president’s second son and executive vice president of the Trump Organization, announced the christening of the Donald J Trump International Airport, saying: “There is no person who has done more for Florida and our country, and no one more deserving of this incredible honor.”
In order to rename the airport, the Trump family business had to trademark the phrase “Donald J Trump International Airport” but reportedly will not profit from any branded merchandise sold.
