Trump becomes first sitting president with airport named after him

Palm Beach International Airport became the first airport named for a sitting president as Florida moved to rebrand the West Palm Beach facility as President Donald J. Trump International Airport. The change put Donald Trump’s name on a major public asset that serves about 8.6 million passengers a year and generates more than $4.6 billion for the South Florida economy.

The renaming advanced under a Florida law signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis on March 30, 2026, which took effect July 1. Palm Beach County says the change is being rolled out in phases, with the airport saying the effective name-change date is July 9 and that signage, branding and other public-facing materials will be updated over time. The Federal Aviation Administration issued Notice 8900.780 on June 26 about the airport’s new designation.

Beyond the public symbolism, the county’s May 5 naming-rights and license agreement gave the Trump Organization control over the trademarked airport name. The airport’s own FAQs say the agreement was designed to protect the county from claims such as trademark infringement and violations of publicity rights, but the contract is non-exclusive. That means the Trump Organization can still use the airport name commercially elsewhere, license the trademark to third parties, continue selling its own branded merchandise and require pre-approved vendors for goods sold at the airport.

That structure leaves open softer forms of gain even if no formal royalty check is written. Control over the trademark can carry marketing value, prestige and future licensing leverage, and the agreement reportedly gives the Trump Organization the right to audit the airport’s books. Palm Beach County says the name change does not alter ownership, governance, legal status or operational control of the airport, only its branding.

The politics around the rename were sharp. Palm Beach County commissioners approved the naming-rights deal by a narrow 4-3 vote. State Democrats opposed the move on the Florida House floor, and House Democratic Leader Fentrice Driskell criticized Trump’s record during debate. The airport’s new identifier changes are also set to ripple through aviation systems, with the FAA locational identifier shifting to DJT and the ICAO code to KDJT on July 9, and the IATA code changing to DJT on Aug. 18.

The naming push also fits Trump’s long-running use of branding as a business tool. DTTM Operations LLC filed trademark applications for the airport name and for DJT on Feb. 13 and Feb. 14, 2026, while the legislation was still moving through the Florida Legislature. Palm Beach is now part of a small historical category, joining Liverpool John Lennon Airport, announced in 2001 as the first British airport named after an individual.