Palm Beach International Airport has now been converted to President Donald J. Trump International Airport. Airlines are pivoting behind the scenes. American Airlines had provided employees with scripts for responding to the backlash over the name change. Meanwhile, United Airlines is offering free rebooking to avoid the airport. The offer has been received positively, despite United operating a lower flight volume from Palm Beach Airport than its competitors.
For now, President Donald Trump isn’t dwelling on those changes by the major airlines. Instead, the President acknowledged a major arrival. The private jet of a megastar touched down at Trump Airport, despite past friction between them.
Airline Preparations For Passenger Reactions At Donald J. Trump International Airport
The name change affects all major U.S. airlines. Flights at President Donald J. Trump International Airport generally show mixed capacity. Although JetBlue has the most scheduled monthly departures, Delta Air Lines and American Airlines aren’t far behind in flight frequency out of the hub. American and Delta have roughly 420 to 471 monthly departures each.
Early Donald J. Trump International Airport Facts
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–Official Name Change: July 9, 2026 |
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–IATA Passenger Code Change To DJT: August 18, 2026 |
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–First Aircraft To Arrive: Trump Force One |
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–Cost Of Renaming: Roughly $5.5 million |
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–Carrier With The Most Flights: JetBlue |
With strong reactions over the airport name change, American Airlines has already started to take precautions in advance. View From Wing shared a memo sent out by American Airlines to its employees, revealing the details of the name change.
“Earlier this year, the State of Florida passed legislation renaming this airport from Palm Beach International Airport to President Donald J. Trump International Airport. As a result, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) is also changing the three-letter code for this airport from PBI to DJT. American follows all airport names and guidance as determined by international bodies as well as federal, state and local governments,” the memo states.
Since the name change took effect on July 9, 2026, the airport has welcomed several flights. The first flight was with Trump Force One, and included President Trump’s son, Eric Trump. The flight touched down at 5:01 a.m., beating out a UPS service that was supposed to land prior.
“There’s no way in hell I was letting UPS be the first plane to land, so we got on Trump Force One […] We touched down at exactly 5:01 a.m. this morning, and it was a beautiful day,” Eric Trump told Fox & Friends.
Since then, another major private jet landed. The arrival was so rare that even President Trump himself acknowledged it on Truth Social.
The President Acknowledged Taylor Swift’s Private Jet Arriving At Donald J. Trump International Airport
Although Taylor Swift was not on the aircraft, the megastar’s private jet landed at President Donald J. Trump International Airport on July 12. Photos show Travis Kelce with a surprise guest, the couple’s dog, a Samoyed.
Although Taylor Swift and the President do not share a positive history, Trump took to Truth Social to acknowledge the landing at the newly named airport.
“So cool!!! President DJT,” he wrote, reacting to a screenshot of the article.
It remains to be seen how other celebrities with private jets will react to the airport name change. For now, major U.S. airlines are offering passengers alternatives, especially for those looking to skip the hub.
United Airlines Is Offering Passengers Flexible Ways To Avoid Donald J. Trump International Airport
Although United Airlines has the fewest flights at Trump Airport compared to JetBlue, Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, and Southwest Airlines, the carrier is offering passengers alternatives. According to an internal memo shared by Live and Let’s Fly, United is preparing to offer its customers alternatives outside the airport.
“If a customer does not want to fly to the airport, use your empowerment to offer acceptable alternatives such as Fort Lauderdale Airport (FLL) or Miami International Airport (MIA).”
The memo takes things a step further, even suggesting replacement hubs for customers.
“I understand that you’d rather not fly to this airport anymore. We can look at nearby airports like Fort Lauderdale or Miami instead. Is that an acceptable alternative?”
In short, United Airlines is offering passengers who object to flights from DJT free alternatives from Fort Lauderdale or Miami. It remains to be seen what type of impact the airport name change will have on travelers. For now, the airport is still welcoming major flights, including, most recently, Taylor Swift’s private jet.
