President Donald J. Trump International Airport officially replaced the Palm Beach International name on July 9, 2026, at the same West Palm Beach, Florida field that has served the region for more than half a century. The change followed a state law signed by Governor Ron DeSantis on March 30, 2026, and it arrives with a phased switch of the airport codes that pilots and passengers rely on.
For anyone booking a trip to the area this summer, the practical wrinkle is timing, because the passenger code stays PBI until August 18, 2026 before it becomes DJT. Searching too early for the new letters can return an error that looks like a canceled route, so the code you type still matters more than the name on the terminal.
- New name: Palm Beach International is now President Donald J. Trump International Airport, effective July 9, 2026.
- Passenger code: Keep booking with PBI until the IATA code becomes DJT on August 18, 2026.
- Pilot codes: The FAA identifier changed to DJT and the ICAO identifier to KDJT on July 9, 2026.
- Same field: Ownership, routes, schedules, and the West Palm Beach location are unchanged.
- Who pays: Florida appropriated $2.75 million toward a rebrand estimated near $5.5 million, with no passenger fee.
- Historic first: This is the first United States commercial airport renamed for a sitting president.
What changed
The core change is a legally required rebrand, not a sale or a move, and the terminal still sits on James L. Turnage Boulevard in West Palm Beach. President Donald J. Trump International Airport officially replaced the Palm Beach International name on July 9, 2026, while continuing to serve the same runways, gates, and airlines.
A Florida state naming law preempted local authority and directed Palm Beach County to secure the federal and trademark approvals needed to carry the change through. The county signed a naming and license agreement on May 5, 2026, which lets the airport use the name while barring the Trump Organization from collecting royalties or fees on airport purchases.
Aviation identifiers moved first, on July 9, 2026, when the FAA locational identifier became DJT and the four letter ICAO identifier became KDJT for pilots, controllers, and dispatchers. Those codes sit inside flight planning and navigation systems, so most travelers never see them even though they changed on day one.
The passenger facing IATA code is on a slower clock and stays PBI until August 18, 2026, when reservation systems, ticketing, and baggage tags switch to DJT. Such three letter codes are almost never changed, and this one moved only because the airlines serving the field asked IATA to align the code with the new name, which is why carriers were given several weeks to update in an orderly way rather than overnight.
Why it matters
The most immediate consequence is a forty day stretch when the airport effectively answers to two codes at once. Pilots and dispatchers already use DJT, while your airline app, boarding pass, and bag tag keep showing PBI until August 18, 2026, so the mismatch is expected rather than a sign that anything is wrong.
Major carriers that serve the field, including Delta, United, American, JetBlue, and Southwest, have hard coded their systems so a PBI search still returns the right flights. Third party booking sites and older corporate tools can lag, so it helps to compare schedules directly with carriers in our airline directory and confirm the airport city reads West Palm Beach before you pay.
President Donald J. Trump International Airport keeps the passenger booking code PBI until August 18, 2026, when it changes to DJT across ticketing and baggage systems. Nearly eight million passengers move through the field each year, so after that date the old code will gradually retire and your saved home airport in loyalty apps should be updated to DJT.
Baggage routing is the quiet risk during any code change, because a tag prints from whatever code the system holds at the moment of check in. Bags should route correctly under the airline hard coding, but a quick look at the three letters on your claim tag before you leave the counter is cheap insurance, especially on a connecting itinerary where a mis-scan is harder to catch later.
On the ground, highway signs, terminal branding, and printed materials change in phases rather than all at once, so you may see both the old and new names for a while. Map apps and rideshare pins can also lag behind the official record, which makes the street address at 1000 James L. Turnage Boulevard in West Palm Beach the most reliable thing to enter when you are heading to the airport.
Cabin crews have been given room to say welcome to West Palm Beach rather than the full new name, a small signal that the destination itself has not moved. Routes, schedules, gates, and services continue exactly as before, so a ticket already booked needs no change because of the rename.
The rename carries weight beyond logistics, since President Donald J. Trump International Airport is the first United States commercial airport renamed for a sitting president, joining about a dozen other airports across the country that already carry a president’s name. The measure passed the Florida Legislature along party lines and has drawn both support and objection, and the airport, which the president often uses when traveling to nearby Mar-a-Lago, acknowledges the change may be received in different ways by travelers.
Cost and control are the other common questions, and the answers are steady for travelers. The rebrand is estimated near $5.5 million with $2.75 million appropriated by Florida and the rest from airport revenue; no local property tax or new passenger fee is tied to it; and Palm Beach County still owns and runs the airport.
| If this describes you | Best next move | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Booking area travel before August 18 | Search with the PBI code | The passenger code does not change until August 18, 2026. |
| Flying on or after August 18 | Book and verify tickets under DJT | The IATA code and bag tags switch to DJT that day. |
| Driving or using rideshare | Enter 1000 James L. Turnage Boulevard | Name labels on maps and signs update in phases. |
| Worried the rename adds a fee | Book as usual | The rebrand uses state and airport funds, not a passenger charge. |
The one date to circle is August 18, 2026, when the passenger code flips and any itinerary that spans the change is most likely to look inconsistent for a day or two. Reporting on the transition notes that airlines expect PBI searches to redirect to DJT flights, so a screenshot of each confirmation gives you a clean record if a system hiccups.
Backup options are worth knowing even if you never need them, since Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International sits about forty five minutes south and Miami International roughly an hour and a quarter away. If a search tool briefly errors on either the old or new code, you can compare fares and schedules from a nearby field rather than assume the route has been cut.
Frequent flyers and corporate travelers have a little housekeeping to do, because saved home airports, expense tools, and travel policies all key off the three letter code that is about to change. Travelers who pass through often can tighten their terminal routine, from parking to security timing, with our airport strategy guide while the new signage and system records catch up over the coming weeks.
- Search code: Use PBI now and switch to DJT for any travel on or after August 18, 2026.
- Keep receipts: Screenshot confirmations for trips that straddle the August 18 code change.
- Ground transport: Save 1000 James L. Turnage Boulevard for GPS and rideshare in case map labels lag.
- Backup airport: Hold Fort Lauderdale Hollywood as an alternate if a booking engine returns errors.
- Loyalty profiles: Update your saved home airport to DJT after August 18, 2026.
- Corporate travel: Tell your travel manager so expense and booking tools map PBI to DJT.
What to verify
As of July 2026, the passenger code is still PBI and is scheduled to become DJT on August 18, 2026, so the single most useful check is your airline’s own app or website right before you book. Treat that official page as the source of truth over any third party search box, and confirm the airport city shows West Palm Beach.
For the naming, code schedule, and funding details, the airport’s official name change FAQ lays out the timeline and the trademark terms in plain language, including that the transition is paid from state and airport funds rather than local property taxes. Check it again close to your trip, because the phased signage and system updates are still rolling out through the rest of the year.
The date that actually affects your booking is August 18, 2026, when PBI gives way to DJT across passenger systems. Watch your carrier’s confirmation and bag tags around that week, and keep the street address handy until the new name settles in.
What is the new name of Palm Beach International Airport?
It is now President Donald J. Trump International Airport, effective July 9, 2026, and it still serves West Palm Beach, Florida on the same site.
What airport code should I use to book a flight right now?
Keep using PBI until August 18, 2026, when the passenger IATA code changes to DJT across airline and travel booking systems.
Does the rename change my flight, gate, ticket, or add a fee?
No, routes, schedules, ownership, and operations are unchanged, and no passenger fee is tied to the rename.
Is this the first airport named after a sitting president?
Yes, President Donald J. Trump International Airport is the first United States commercial airport renamed for a president while in office.
