Palm Beach International Airport will officially be renamed President Donald J. Trump International Airport effective July 9, the Federal Aviation Administration announced, with the airport’s three-letter code changing from PBI to DJT, denoting the president’s initials.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed the code change, the latest in a growing list of buildings, institutions, government programs, warships and currency to bear Trump’s name during his second term.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the renaming legislation on March 30, transferring authority over major commercial airport names to the state. The Florida Legislature approved the bill in February, fiercely opposed by state Democrats. Palm Beach County, which owns and operates the airport, retains all operational control. The renaming is expected to cost roughly $5.5 million in design, signage and rebranding expenses, funded through the state budget.
Just as the renaming bill was moving through the Florida Legislature, DTTM Operations LLC, a New York business tied to the Trump Organization, filed trademark applications on the airport’s new name. The filings – for “President Donald J. Trump International Airport” and “Donald J. Trump International Airport” on Feb. 13, followed by “DJT” on Feb. 14 – positioned the Trump family business to hold the trademarks on the very name a public airport would be required to use.
Earlier this month, the Palm Beach County Commission voted 4-3 to approve a licensing agreement with the Trump Organization that allows the county to use the airport name on signage and merchandising, but does not grant exclusive rights. Under the deal, the Trump Organization retains the ability to use the airport name commercially elsewhere, can license the trademark to third parties, and can continue producing and selling its own branded merchandise.
The agreement also gives the Trump family control over any biographical material presented at the airport or on airport materials, and requires the airport to choose vendors for branded merchandise from a list approved by the Trump family business.
County officials said the agreement comes at no cost to the county and does not include royalties, fees or revenue sharing with Trump or his company. But intellectual property experts have flagged the arrangement as unusual for a public facility.
“This is a unique situation where a public airport is tied to a private trademark,” Victoria Doyle, a Palm Beach County congressional candidate and trademark attorney, said in an interview. “It raises questions about control over branding and how the name is used.”
The arrangement marks a sharp departure from previous instances of airports named after presidents. When Washington National Airport was renamed for Ronald Reagan, there was no licensing deal with the late president’s family. The same was true when New York’s airport was named after John F. Kennedy.
Palm Beach County Mayor Sara Baxter cast the deciding vote on the licensing agreement, criticizing members of the public who opposed the deal. Vice Mayor Maria Woodward, who voted against it, said county staff had indicated that refusing the agreement could put state transportation funding at risk.
“It’s not whether or not this airport gets renamed — it’s whether or not we maintain our seat at the table,” Woodward said during the meeting.
The airport, which has been ranked among the best in the country in recent traveler surveys, generates more than $4.6 billion annually for the South Florida economy, according to a state aviation study. It sits just miles from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort.
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