United Airlines has clarified that it is not offering free flight changes solely because passengers object to the renamed President Donald J. Trump International Airport. The airline said a leaked internal memo telling agents to rebook such travelers was “poorly written” and inaccurate, and that its policy does not allow fee-free changes based on an airport’s name or three-letter code.
- United Airlines said the memo did not reflect an official policy permitting free changes tied to the airport rename, despite reports that agents could reroute customers to Fort Lauderdale (FLL) or Miami (MIA) at no cost.
- President Donald J. Trump International Airport took effect on July 9, 2026, after Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the measure earlier this year authorizing the name change for the former Palm Beach International Airport near Mar-a-Lago.
- The leaked message drew nearly 50,000 views before United issued its correction, with the airline saying the memo was “not accurate” and that its policy does not allow changes because of an airport’s name or three-letter code.
- Florida officials officially renamed the airport to President Donald J. Trump International Airport on July ninth, twenty twenty-six.
- The federal aviation code will transition from PBI to DJT starting August eighteenth, twenty twenty-six.
- The rebranding project costs five point five million dollars with a phased rollout for signs and branding.
(PALM BEACH, FLORIDA) — Florida officials renamed Palm Beach International Airport President Donald J. Trump International Airport on July 9, 2026, changing its federal aviation designation from PBI to DJT.
The first Trump plane landed at the airport at 5:01 a.m. on the day of the renaming. Airport operations continued under a transition process, with passengers told to use PBI for bookings and baggage checks until the IATA code change on August 18, 2026.
Signs, branding and public-facing materials are being changed in phases as the airport adopts the new name. The official name is President Donald J. Trump International Airport, while DJT becomes the airport’s new aviation code.
Florida lawmakers approved the renaming earlier in 2026. Governor Ron DeSantis signed the measure into law in March 2026, clearing the way for the name and code changes at the Palm Beach airport.
Officials estimated the rebranding cost at $5.5 million. The state budget for 2026–2027 allocated $2.75 million toward the project.
The funding covers a rebranding process that includes new signs and changes to materials used by the airport and the public. The phased rollout also accounts for the continued use of PBI during the transition to DJT.
Passengers booking flights before August 18, 2026 were instructed to continue using PBI for reservations and baggage checks. That temporary arrangement separates the airport’s new public name from the existing IATA code used in travel transactions.
DTTM Operations, President Donald J. Trump’s trademark company, filed applications in February 2026 for “DJT,” “President Donald J. Trump International Airport,” and “Donald J. Trump International Airport.”
The trademark applications remained pending as of July 9, 2026. They cover the airport’s new initials and both versions of its full name.
The renaming gives the airport a new public identity while its travel systems complete the shift from PBI to DJT. Until the August 18 code change, passengers and baggage systems continued using PBI despite the airport’s official name change.
