Florida’s airport renamed President Donald J Trump International Airport

The Palm Beach International Airport in the US has been renamed President Donald J Trump International Airport, a first instance where an airport has been renamed after a sitting US president.

The change, an addition to the existing list of landmarks named after President Donald Trump, took effect on Thursday (July 9).

Trump celebrated the decision on his Truth Social platform, writing, "This will soon be one of the Greatest and Most Spectacular Airports anywhere in the World!"

First aircraft after renaming

The renaming was approved after Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed the legislation into law. The road leading to the airport has also been renamed President Donald J Trump Boulevard, further cementing Trump's presence across one of his political strongholds.

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The first aircraft to land under the airport's new identity was ‘Trump Force One’, the Trump family's Boeing 757 carrying Eric Trump, the US president's third child. The aircraft touched down at 5.01 am local time, marking the symbolic inauguration of the renamed airport.

Calling it "a beautiful day", Eric Trump said on Fox News that no one was more closely associated with Palm Beach than his father.

New identity

"I don't think there's anybody more synonymous with Palm Beach than Donald Trump and maybe all of Florida," he said, adding that passengers flying into the airport would now permanently see the code "DJT" on their tickets.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has already updated the airport's aviation identifier to DJT for pilots and air traffic control. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) will officially replace the long-standing PBI airport code with DJT from August 18, 2026, while major airlines, including Delta Air Lines and United Airlines, have already begun integrating the new code into their reservation systems.

Other public landmarks

The airport renaming is the latest in a series of initiatives by Trump and his supporters to place his name on prominent public infrastructure and national symbols.

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On the same day, officials, including US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, unveiled the Donald J Trump Bridge in Tennessee. Washington has also seen the United States Institute of Peace renamed after Trump, while giant portraits of the president have appeared on several federal buildings.

Meanwhile, the Telangana government recently renamed the road adjoining the new US Consulate in Hyderabad's Financial District as Donald Trump Avenue to mark America's 250th anniversary.

Trump's signature on US currency

Later this year, Trump's signature will become the first ever by a sitting US president to appear on circulating dollar bills.

The redesign, beginning with the $100 bill as part of the United States' 250th anniversary celebrations, marked a departure from a tradition dating back to the introduction of modern US currency in 1861. Until now, American paper currency has carried only the signatures of the Treasury Secretary and the US Treasurer.

Mixed public response

The renaming has drawn both praise and criticism.

While supporters have hailed it as a fitting tribute to a president closely identified with Palm Beach, critics argue that replacing the city's internationally recognised identity with Trump's name is unnecessary.

"Palm Beach is a better brand. People don't really like Donald Trump," local physician John Manov said. "It seems in poor taste."