On 9 July 2026, Palm Beach International Airport in Florida was formally renamed President Donald J. Trump International Airport, following legislation signed by Governor Ron DeSantis in March. The Federal Aviation Administration changed the airport’s three-letter identifier from PBI to DJT, though passengers will continue using the old code for bookings until 18 August. The first aircraft to land under the new name was a Trump Organization Boeing 757, carrying the president’s son Eric Trump, who described the moment as “an incredibly unique” honour. The rebranding, which includes new signage and digital updates, is projected to cost $5.5 million, with half the funding allocated by the state and the remainder drawn from the airport’s operating budget. Airport authorities stated that operations, ownership and governance remain unchanged.

For Florida’s Republican leadership and the Trump family, the renaming is a tribute to a president they regard as deeply tied to the state. Eric Trump told Fox News that “there’s nobody more synonymous with Palm Beach than Donald Trump,” noting that the road from the airport to the Mar-a-Lago estate already bears the president’s name. On the same day, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent joined Tennessee lawmakers to unveil the Donald J. Trump Bridge on Interstate 40, telling attendees that the president “has never stopped fighting for the people who travel on it.” Viewed from within the administration, such honours reflect what supporters describe as Trump’s transformative impact on the country.

The move has drawn opposition from travellers, legal challengers and political opponents. At the airport, some passengers called the change a “distraction” or “in poor taste,” while a 79-year-old military veteran told Agence France-Presse that naming a public facility after a “convicted felon” was a “farce.” A pilot filed a lawsuit arguing that the renaming creates “uncertainty” and potential “safety risks,” according to court documents cited by Mexican outlet Aristegui Noticias. In Washington, critics note that the proliferation of the Trump name on federal buildings, currency and government programmes breaks a long-standing tradition of not honouring living presidents. A federal judge recently ordered the removal of Trump’s name from the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, ruling that only Congress could authorise such a change.

The airport renaming is the latest in a series of branding initiatives that have accelerated since Trump’s return to the White House. His name has been affixed to a planned class of Navy warships, a visa programme for wealthy investors, a prescription drug website and federal children’s savings accounts. The Treasury Department has announced that Trump’s signature will appear on US dollar notes later this year, and his image is being incorporated into commemorative passports. While several US airports are named after former presidents, Trump is the first to receive the honour while in office. The airport’s code transition to DJT is scheduled for 18 August, and the legal challenge to the renaming remains pending. Meanwhile, administration officials have signalled interest in attaching the president’s name to New York’s Penn Station and Washington’s Dulles International Airport.