W. Palm Beach, Fla., airport now officially Donald J. Trump Int'l
by Lisa Hornung · UPIJuly 9 (UPI) -- Palm Beach International Airportin West Palm Beach, Fla., is now renamed the President Donald J. Trump International Airport.
The change occurred Thursday, but the airport code revision will take another month. It will change from PBI to DJT on Aug. 18.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a law to officially change the name in March, and the Federal Aviation Administration said the name would change would happen Thursday.
Henry Harteveldt, airline industry analyst at Atmosphere Research Group, told CBS News that airlines have "hard coding" in their reservations, passenger service and other systems to ensure passengers and bags will make it to the correct airport.
"Airlines have told me that, at least initially, people who use the PBI code on their websites to search for flights will be directed to flights from what will now be called DJT," Harteveldt said.
"I've also been told that flight attendants will be given leeway to say 'welcome to West Palm Beach,' rather than 'welcome to Donald J. Trump International Airport.'"
Airport codes, managed by the International Air Transport Association, "are almost never changed -- and then only with strong justification, primarily concerning air safety," according to the IATA site.
The official request to change the code was made by major U.S. airlines serving the airport, including Delta, United, American Airlines, JetBlue and Southwest, CBS reported.
"IATA has acted on a request from airlines serving Palm Beach International Airport to change the airport's IATA 3-letter code from PBI to DJT, along with the change of the location name to President Donald J. Trump International Airport," an IATA spokesperson said.
The airport's website asks for passengers to keep using the PBI code until the change comes in August.
"While we recognize that the required name change may be received in different ways by our passengers, we're grateful for your continued support through this transition period," the website says. "We remain committed to serving all passengers and ensuring a positive travel experience."
Nearly 8 million passengers fly through PBI annually, according to the airport.
Under the agreement, Trump can't get royalties, fees, or revenue from merchandise at the airport, but the airport can use his name, image and likeness to advertise.
Twelve 12 airports in the United States are named after presidents, but this is the first one to be named while the president was still in office.
Eric Trump, executive vice president of the Trump Organization, said the president's plane was the first to land at the renamed airport at 5:01 a.m. on Thursday.
"There is no person who has done more for Florida and our country, and no one more deserving of this incredible honor," he posted on X. "As a son, and someone who flies out of this airport nearly every day, I will forever be proud to see the initials 'DJT' on my boarding pass."
But not everyone is happy with the change.
"Airports named after presidents have traditionally been designated once they leave office and through decisions made by local communities and local authorities -- not imposed from above," U.S. Rep. Lois Frankel, a Democrat, said in a May statement.
"While the county has to comply with state law, what we are seeing is a clear overreach by the state Legislature that forced through this change without meaningful input from the people who actually live here, work here and rely on Palm Beach International Airport every day," she said.
"Naming a major public asset should reflect community consensus and respect local voices. That is not happening here," Frankel said.
Two lawsuits opposing the name change have been filed in Palm Beach County, and both are pending.