FLYING Magazine
If you have any saved flight plans that include Florida’s Palm Beach International (KPBI), you may notice they look a little different as of Thursday, as the airport’s name has been officially changed to President Donald J. Trump International and the identifier changed to KDJT.
The airport is just minutes from Trump’s Mar-a-Largo estate.
There has been opposition to the name change, which critics described as frivolous and unnecessary.
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This is the first time in U.S. history that an airport has been named for a sitting president.
Airports Named for Presidents
There are seven other U.S. airports that underwent a name change to honor a past president:
- In 1997 Houston Intercontinental Airport (KIAH) was renamed George Bush Intercontinental Airport to honor former President George H.W. Bush. Bush left office in 1993.
- In December 1963 Idlewild Airport in Queens, New York, was renamed John F. Kennedy International Airport (KJFK), just weeks after the president was assassinated.
- In 2014 Wichita Mid-Continent Airport (KICT) was renamed Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport. Eisenhower considered Kansas his home state. He was born in Abilene and during the 1950s was instrumental in the growth of the aviation industry.
- In 2005 Capital Airport (KSPI) in Springfield, Illinois, became Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport. It was renamed to honor the 16th president who spent much of his life in Springfield. The airport was built after World War II to handle the growing air traffic to the region that came as aviation boomed.
- In 1999 Kent County International Airport in Grand Rapids, Michigan, was renamed Gerald R. Ford International Airport (KGRR). Ford represented the state in Congress for more than 20 years and was instrumental in obtaining funding for projects that enabled the airport to grow.
- Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (KDCA) was renamed in 1998 after Congress passed legislation changing the name from Washington National Airport to honor the 40th president.
- In 2012 Little Rock National Airport (KLIT) in Arkansas was renamed Bill and Hillary Clinton Airport.
According to the official notice from the FAA, “KPBI/PBI will no longer be a valid identifier in the system. If you have a stored flight plan that includes KPBI/PBI, it has been automatically updated to reflect the new KDJT/DJT identifier—no action is required on your part.”
However, some entities that operate out of the airport may need to update authorizing documents and certificates, as well as letters of authorization in the Safety Assurance System (SAS) and Operations Safety System (OPSS) to reflect the name change. For example, a business based at the airport must have all official documents that allow them to operate at the airport with the correct name of the airport listed.
Failure to do so could put a business out of compliance with FAA regulations after October 7, 2026.
For reference, the official FAA notice is available here.
Direct questions or comments concerning the name change can be sent to the Air Transportation Division (AFS-200) at 9-AFS-200-Correspondence@faa.gov.