West Palm Beach (Palm Beach International) airport has officially been renamed for President Trump. The airport’s 3-letter code has been updated from PBI to DJT in some – but not all – systems. The FAA calls it DJT now. International airline collusion group IATA updates the code August 18.
NEWS: The FAA is alerting air traffic controllers nationwide that Palm Beach International Airport’s three-letter identifier changes overnight from PBI to DJT as the airport is officially renamed Donald J. Trump International Airport. pic.twitter.com/93mRGF0R60
— Pete Muntean (@petemuntean) July 9, 2026
Changes to airport codes are something rarely granted, and often take significant time. BWI airport managed to change its code from BAL after the U.S. horse traded with Papua New Guinea (Bewani Airport) in exchange for Air Niugini gaining rights to fly to Hawaii.
Fresno was unable to change “FAT” (Fresno Air Terminal, not ‘People in California’s Central Valley are FAT) to “FYI” (Fresno Yosemite International). The international airline lobby does not wish to anger the President of the United States over trivial matters.
CBS News notes that some airline apps haven’t been updated, but it was early – we’re already seeing more changes roll out.
Delta and American Airlines showing code “DJT” as invalid on their booking apps https://t.co/vXS5jjv9W5 pic.twitter.com/d0BtmGtbCO
— Olivia Rinaldi (@olivialarinaldi) July 9, 2026
United Airlines – which has pivoted from woke to MAGA under this President – pulls up both PBI and DJT when you enter PBI, but DJT only when that’s what you enter.
For Southwest, entering ‘DJT’ pulls up PBI as an option along with other South Florida airports.
Delta brings up both options.
However, American – often lagging in IT capability and spend and needing to wait for the team in India to figure it out has updated the airport name but not the code at all (DJT doesn’t autopopulate at all).
It’s entirely reasonable for a President to be interested in his naming legacy, and not an uncommon thing for airports to be named for former Presidents. Palm Beach is Trump’s primary residence. It’s just a bit unseemly to do it while he’s still in office.
I don’t love naming major public infrastructure after whatever party is in power. That’s not anti-Trump – I didn’t like it when Chicago was talking about renaming an airport for Obama, I was critical of renaming Las Vegas airport for Harry Reid, and criticized renaming Atlanta Hartsfield International Airport Hartsfield-Jackson all the way back in 2003.
Hopefully, though, naming Palm Beach International for President Trump will forestall naming Washington Dulles after him. Surely we don’t want more than one airport with the same name. That’s just a recipe for confusion, passengers flying to the wrong place, and misdirected bags.
I would say, more honorable and less corrupt to simply wait until the person is out of office or deceased, but that’s just a time-thing. Eh, LIT is named after #42 and his wife, former Gov of AR. (See, I’m not being too ‘TDS’-y, right?) Yes, the names can be fun. In addition to FAT, we got CLT-PNS, FUK-PUS, etc.
The FAA still hasn’t figured it out. filing flight plans to/from West Palm has been a pain in the…
No one calls DCA RR Airport. It’s DCA or National. No one calls LAS Harry Reid Airport. A few call SAN John Wayne but anyone under 40 DKWTF John Wayne is.
I think Trump is like any other politician. But he doesn’t live rent free in my head. But then again I don’t suffer from TDS.
@Mitch — Glad to hear you’re outta that silly hospital and flyin’ again soon! Great “20-minute call” we had the other day… go get’em, dawg!
@1990
TDS, now there’s an idea for an airport code!
Good thing Trump isn’t a flight attendant.
Trump, aboard the non-Qatari AF1:
Reporter: Were you aware of any credible threat by Iran against AF1?
Trump: I’m number one on their list before you. But I go, you go. Perhaps one day you want to change professions.
https://x.com/Acyn/status/2075008085073272883
—-
Reporter: What was the security concern that cause us to change planes?
Trump: We sent it a little early so the base could see the plane.
Reporter: Do you know why they had us close our window blinds?
Trump: Because you’re on a dangerous flight.
https://x.com/Acyn/status/2074992544514277556
Isn’t there already is an IATA airport code TDS for Sasereme in the Western Province of Papua New Guinea?
Think Dulles is immune to a name change? Think again.
Already, most large US airports long time ago had a fat head and added “international” to their names. Silly names like Fort Wayne International Airport (in Indiana), Chicago Midway International Airport, Tulsa International Airport.
That suggests that instead of “____ Airport”, which evolved into ” _____ International Airport”, there could be a move to have airports called “_____ President Donald J. Trump International Airport”. Therefore, you might have….
Tulsa President Donald J. Trump International Airport
Fort Worth President Donald J. Trump International Airport
John F. Kennedy Donald J. Trump International Airport
Thurgood Marshall Baltimore Washington Donald J. Trump International Airport
@R T — Not sure if it’s much of an airport, but TDS is currently an active IATA code for Sasereme, Papua New Guinea. Seems super sketchy there…
@AlohaDaveKenneny — Sorry, I saw your reply afterwards. Well done.
No fan of Trump. But PBI was one of the worst airport handles.
@Nathan — Worse than DIK?
“It’s entirely reasonable for a President to be interested in his naming legacy” The true great leaders don’t think about that, I would think.
Many places in the US got “International” in their names by virtue of a once-daily Air Canada flight in a CRJ to Vancouver or Toronto.