Florida governor signs bill to rename airport after Donald Trump

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed into law a bill passed by the Legislature that would rename Palm Beach International Airport as President Donald J. Trump International Airport.

.....

The name change, scheduled to take effect July 1, must still be approved by the Federal Aviation Administration, according to the bill text.

The FAA said in a statement on Monday, March 30,  that while changing an airport name is a “local issue,” it “must complete some administrative tasks to include updating navigational charts and databases.”

Trump frequently flies into and out of Palm Beach International Airport on Air Force One for weekends at his Mar-a-Lago resort, about 5 miles away. Democrats recently scored an electoral victory there by flipping a state House seat for a legislative district that includes Trump’s resort and neighbors the airport.

An entity managed by the Trump Organization filed a trademark application last month for the name “President Donald J. Trump International Airport.”

The bill signed by DeSantis — a Trump rival during the 2024 primaries who later endorsed him — stipulated that Palm Beach County must “at minimum” be granted the “perpetual and unrestricted right” to use the Trump airport name and related abbreviations for airport use at no cost.

The bill to rename the airport was celebrated by one of the president’s sons, Eric Trump, executive vice president of the Trump Organization.

“Proud to have played a small role in making this happen. Huge thanks to @megforflorida, @GovRonDeSantis, @JamesUtheimerFL, and the overwhelming majority in the Florida House,” he said on X.

Florida House Democratic Leader Fentrice Driskell decried the signing of the bill in a statement, saying it would cost taxpayers $5 million.

“Life keeps getting more expensive for working families and seniors in Florida, which is why Democrats spent this legislative session fighting for an affordability agenda to lower costs and put more money back in your pocket. Instead of working across the aisle with us to advance those bills, Republicans leaders decided to prioritize wasting five million of your taxpayer dollars on renaming an airport after the President,” Driskell said.