Florida’s West Palm Beach airport is now named after Trump, but flyers will still see the PBI airport code – for now
On July 9, Palm Beach International Airport underwent a significant name change to become President Donald J. Trump International Airport. This change was initiated by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who signed a law in March to honor President Trump. The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed that the official name change would take effect on July 9. However, the airport code, which currently stands as PBI, will not transition to DJT until August 18.
During this transition period, there will be a discrepancy between the FAA locational identifier and the International Civil Aviation Organization’s airport code used by pilots and air traffic controllers (DJT) and the code used by passengers for ticketing and flight information (PBI). Airlines have made adjustments in their systems to ensure that passengers and baggage are directed to the correct airport despite the code change.
Henry Harteveldt, an airline industry analyst, mentioned that airlines have implemented measures to redirect passengers searching for flights using the PBI code to flights from DJT. Additionally, flight attendants have been given flexibility to refer to the airport as “Donald J. Trump International Airport” or simply “West Palm Beach.”
The International Air Transport Association rarely approves changes to airport location codes, making this transition unique. Major U.S. airlines serving Palm Beach International Airport, including Delta, United, American Airlines, JetBlue, and Southwest, requested the change from PBI to DJT. IATA confirmed that the change will officially take effect on August 18 to allow sufficient time for system updates.
The airport’s website advises passengers to continue using the code PBI until the official change occurs in August. Despite the mixed reactions to the name change, the airport remains committed to providing a positive travel experience for passengers.
Palm Beach International Airport sees nearly eight million passengers annually, with President Trump frequently utilizing the airport to travel to his Florida resort, Mar-a-Lago. In May, the Palm Beach County commissioners approved a licensing agreement to incorporate “Donald J. Trump” into the airport’s name following a trademark application by the Trump Organization.
Under the agreement, President Trump is not entitled to royalties or revenue from airport merchandise sales. However, the airport can utilize his name, image, and likeness for promotional purposes. With this change, Palm Beach International Airport joins the ranks of 12 airports across the country named after presidents.
