South Florida's Palm Beach International Airport officially became President Donald J. Trump International Airport on Thursday, with workers beginning to replace signs across the terminal following the formal name change. Get today's headlines by email New name unveiled as signage is replacedAirport officials said the transition would take several weeks, meaning travelers will temporarily see a mix of the airport's previous branding alongside the new identity. "Because an entire airport transformation doesn't happen overnight, you'll notice a combination of both our classic look and our new brand elements coexisting while traveling through the terminal over the next several weeks," the airport said in a Facebook post. Trump family marks first dayThe first aircraft to arrive under the airport's new name was "Trump Force One," a Boeing 757 owned by The Trump Organization, shortly after 5 a.m. Eric Trump was among those on board. The Trump family frequently uses the airport when traveling to President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence in nearby Palm Beach. Earlier this year, a road connecting the airport to the estate was renamed Donald J. Trump Boulevard. Eric Trump welcomed the change in a post on X, saying his father was deserving of the recognition and adding that he would be proud to see the airport's future code, DJT, on his boarding passes. Although the airport's new name took effect immediately, its three-letter code will remain PBI until Aug. 18, when it is scheduled to change to DJT. Trump welcomes the movePresident Trump also praised the renaming in a post on Truth Social, describing it as "a very big day" for Palm Beach. He thanked local supporters for approving the change and said the airport's ongoing renovation would be "spectacular," calling it one of the world's greatest airports. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed legislation earlier this year authorising the renaming. Officials estimate the project will cost up to $5.5 million, covering new signs, branding and related updates. Mixed public reactionSome travellers expressed little concern over the change. Keegan Collett, who was departing for Cincinnati on Thursday morning, said he did not believe Trump should have an airport named after him but added that the issue was not especially important. "At the end of the day, it's just the name of an airport," Collett said. "There's bigger things. I feel like it's just more of a distraction. Why even worry about it?" Elsewhere on Thursday, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Senators Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty, and Representative Tim Burchett attended a ceremony in Dandridge, Tennessee, to rename the Interstate 40 Bridge as the Donald J. Trump Bridge. Speaking before the event, Bessent said that "no one is more deserving" of the honour than Trump. Trump won 82% of the vote in Jefferson County, where Dandridge is located, in the 2024 general election. Join the discussion? 11 July 2026
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