Air Force One touches down on Trump International Airport for the first time ever: How much did it cost to rename the Palm Beach airport and who paid for it?

An Air Force One touched down on the President Donald J. Trump International Airport in Florida for the first time ever on Friday, October 16, according to the White House. The official aircraft carrying the President landed at the airport for the first time since it was renamed. Both the White House and President Trump marked the landing with social media posts. The airport was previously known as The Palm Beach International Airport.

Trump visited South Florida after several months since his last visit in May 2026. The aircraft landed at the airport after 8 pm amid rain along with lightning and thunder. The President was in Florida to attend an event of the Republican National Committee at his Mar-a-Lago resort. He also flew from Florida to attend a campaign rally at the Truist Arena in Kentucky. Trump later returned to Palm Beach for the weekend.

Airport renamed after President Trump in July 2026

The Palm Beach Airport was renamed after President Donald Trump in July 2026 after months of efforts. The process first began in November of 2025, with state Representative Meg Weinberger from Palm Beach Gardens filing a bill proposing the renaming.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, in March 2026 signed the act renaming the airport. A trademark agreement with Trump’s companies was later approved by County Commissioners, allowing the county to use his name. After the renaming, the President’s son, Eric Trump, and his family were on board the first flight that flew to the renamed airport on July 9. New signs were installed on Interstate 95, guiding drivers to the renamed airport with a new entrance sign in July. Later in August, the airport code was also changed from PBI to DJT.

How much did the name change cost and who paid for it?

According to the airport authorities renaming it would incur an estimated cost of about $5.5 million. The money went towards changing signage and wayfinding across the airport, replacing uniforms for the staff, rebranding the equipment and all promotional and printed materials. The cost also went towards updating all systems and technology. The final cost, however, will be determined by the actual expenditures incurred to implement the name change, according to FAQs on the airport’s website.

The State of Florida had appropriated $2.75 million toward the renaming project, only half of the estimated cost. Airport officials had been working towards obtaining the remaining half, however, no new funding has been announced since August 2026.

The airport’s website says the renaming is planned to be conducted in phases based on the funds available with it. It also says that the department will “continue to pursue all available funding sources, including legislative appropriations”. The department has also said it would seek funds from the state’s transportation department.

The authorities have also denied using any airport revenue or property taxes to fund the remaining. According to the FAQs, the name change will not result in any new or separate fee for passengers or airlines.

The name change also does not result in any change in the ownership, governance, legal status or operational control of the airport, the website reads. Palm Beach County continues to oversee all the policies and finances for it. “This is a branding change only,” The website’s FAQs section read.