UPDATE Aug. 18, 2026: It’s official. If you’re flying to or from Palm Beach, you’ll need to get used to typing DJT instead of PBI. As of today, the airport’s longtime three-letter IATA code, PBI, is being replaced by DJT in airline reservation, ticketing and baggage systems.
Palm Beach International Airport officially became President Donald J. Trump International Airport last month, but for travelers, today is when one of the biggest changes takes effect: PBI is now DJT.
The name change was required under legislation signed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on March 30. The airport officially adopted its new name on July 9 and the transition has been taking place in phases.
Until today, travelers were instructed to continue using PBI when searching for flights, booking tickets, checking in and tracking baggage. But Aug. 18 was the date the International Air Transport Association (IATA) scheduled the commercial airport code to change from PBI to DJT. So if you have an upcoming flight to West Palm Beach, don’t be surprised when you start seeing DJT on your itinerary or baggage tag.
Changing an airport code is a really big deal
The New York Times published an interesting story today about the change and points out just how unusual it is for an airport to change its three-letter code. These codes generally stick around for decades, even after an airport changes names. Just look at Chicago O’Hare. Travelers still type ORD even though those letters date all the way back to the airport’s Orchard Field days.
The Times also points out something remarkable about the renaming: This is the first U.S. commercial airport to be named for a president while he’s still in office. Of course, other U.S. airports are named for presidents, including George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston (IAH), Gerald R. Ford International Airport near Grand Rapids (GRR) and Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport in Little Rock (LIT). But none of those airports were renamed while those presidents were in office.
The switch from PBI to DJT has already confused some travelers
The switch from PBI to DJT has already confused some travelersAccording to The New York Times, the transition has caused confusion for some passengers, including travelers who received notifications from airlines and online travel agencies that made it appear their itineraries had changed. My email from American Airlines is above.
That’s understandable. Imagine booking a ticket to PBI and suddenly seeing DJT appear on your itinerary. The airport itself says the name change has no impact on flights, airport services or the passenger experience. It’s still the same airport in the same location, operated by Palm Beach County. The airport’s FAA identifier actually changed to DJT and its ICAO identifier to KDJT on July 9. The passenger-facing IATA code remained PBI until today.
The backlash has been intense
The renaming has been controversial from the start and I’m among those who aren’t happy about it. According to The New York Times, at least two lawsuits have been filed opposing the change and several thousand people have signed online petitions contesting the new name.
The cost has also generated criticism. The airport rebranding is estimated to cost about $5.5 million, according to Business Insider, with the state expected to cover half and the Palm Beach County Department of Airports looking for other funding sources for the rest.
Gov. DeSantis defended the decision earlier this year, saying the change originated with the Florida Legislature and noting that Trump is the first sitting president from Florida. President Donald J. Trump International Airport is in West Palm Beach, about a 10-minute drive from Mar-a-Lago, the president’s private club and residence in Palm Beach. Trump regularly flies in and out of the airport.
Judging by the comments on social media, plenty of travelers aren’t happy about the change either. The comments on Fox News’ Threads post were overwhelmingly negative when I checked. Here are just a few examples:
@dannyguykelly: “When people think of Palm Beach, they think of Jeffrey Epstein and his friend lil Donnie.”
@democratic.capitalist: “Airport Code PDO.”
@zibsweatytoes6969: “I heard that in some countries they jail sexual predators instead of electing them president twice and naming airports after them. Crazy, right?”
@small_towngirl59: “Naming an airport after a convicted rapist is pure Florida.”
@seraph_1509: “And I can’t wait to watch the name get torn down.”
@rizkey_bizness: “As a native Floridian, I will NEVER use this airport. I’ll fly to Ga. and drive home if I have to. 😂😂😂😂”
@megankelleyhall: “Remind me NEVER to set foot there ever again.”
@mariamaldonadosmith: “We live locally…we will never fly out of there again. Thankfully, we have two other nearby options. 🙌🏻”
Of course, not everyone is upset about the change. The Times also spoke with local travelers who support the new name or simply don’t think it’s a big deal.
PBI wasn’t always PBI
Here’s another interesting bit of history from The New York Times: The airport wasn’t always called Palm Beach International Airport. When commercial flights began there in 1936, it was called Morrison Field, named after Grace Morrison, who helped lead the effort to build the airport and was the first woman from the area to fly solo.
In 1948, local commissioners renamed it Palm Beach International Airport, a name it kept for almost 80 years. Now it’s President Donald J. Trump International Airport and the PBI code generations of South Florida travelers have known is becoming DJT.
Will travelers avoid DJT because of the name?
I’ve been fortunate to fly in and out of PBI dozens of times and I even had a flight booked there later this year. But like some of the travelers commenting online, I’m going to avoid it by changing my flight to one of South Florida’s other major airports.
Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) is about 48 miles away and Miami International Airport (MIA) is roughly 70 miles away. Depending on where you’re headed in South Florida, either can be a reasonable alternative. Here’s my list of alternate airports in the U.S.
Of course, avoiding an airport because of its name isn’t going to make sense for everyone. For many Palm Beach County residents, DJT is far more convenient than driving to Fort Lauderdale or Miami and plenty of travelers won’t care what the airport is called.
But regardless of how you feel about the politics surrounding the name change, there’s one important takeaway for travelers: PBI is now DJT.
If you have an upcoming flight to or from West Palm Beach, expect to start seeing DJT when searching for flights, on your itinerary and on your baggage tags.
How about you? Does changing Palm Beach International Airport from PBI to DJT make you more likely to fly there, less likely to fly there or does the name make absolutely no difference to you?
I am thrilled that you have to write this article because your TDS is so bad. You and I both know that you will fly there as it is super convenient. FFL is a lot farther away. I’m with Marlin and Nancy, there are a lot of airport with names other than the city so don’t be such a baby!
You’re being a big baby publishing all these negative comments. Get over it!!!
Flew thru there recently because FLL connections were lousy. Not interested in DJT airport. Whatever happened to naming things AFTER a person has died, so dirty info does not suddenly appear which is embarrassing? As for Don Jr., does anyone else live in FL besides his father??? Name it for ANITA BRYANT! Or EPSTEIN TRAVEL INCORPORATED!
it’s all so stupid, who cares what an airport is named? All the airports I fly though with names other then the city I don’t care who they are, and generally have no idea who the person is.