President Donald J. Trump International Airport officially opened under its new name Thursday, with Eric Trump marking the occasion by piloting the first ceremonial arrival into the newly renamed South Florida airport aboard Trump Force One.
Appearing on Fox & Friends after the flight, Eric Trump said he was determined to ensure the Trump family’s aircraft—not a commercial or cargo plane—would make the airport’s inaugural landing under its new name.
“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,” he said.
Airport Officially Renamed
The airport, formerly known as Palm Beach International Airport, carried that name for nearly five decades before officially becoming President Donald J. Trump International Airport under legislation signed earlier this year by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
The renaming recognizes Trump’s longstanding ties to Palm Beach County, where his Mar-a-Lago estate has served as both his private residence and political headquarters throughout much of his public career.
“I don’t think there’s anybody more synonymous with Palm Beach than Donald Trump,” Eric Trump said.
Photos from Thursday’s ceremony showed Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr. alongside local officials, including Palm Beach County Administrator Joseph Abruzzo and Commissioner Maria Marino, posing in front of Trump Force One following the historic landing.
A Plane With Political History
Eric Trump said choosing Trump Force One for the first arrival carried special significance because of the aircraft’s prominent role during his father’s presidential campaigns.
“This is the plane that carried him to victory,” he said. “It was the backdrop of so many of the presidential campaign stops.”
He added that the aircraft also holds deep personal meaning for the Trump family.
“There’s so many stops with us as a family, so it was an incredibly special moment for us this morning.”
‘A Tribute to His Legacy’
While President Trump was not present for the event, Eric Trump said the moment represented more than replacing signs at the terminal.
“It’s just a special moment,” he said. “He’s a man that deserves it. He’s the man that’s done so much for this country.”
As one of the president’s sons who helped advocate for the renaming, Eric Trump said seeing the project become reality was especially meaningful.
“He’s fought like hell for all of us and, as a son who worked so hard to make this happen, I couldn’t be more proud,” he said. “Today was a really, really special moment.”
The airport dedication comes during a week that saw another landmark renamed in honor of the president. In Tennessee, officials unveiled the President Donald J. Trump Bridge, formerly the Interstate 40 bridge over the French Broad River in Dandridge, as state and federal leaders praised Trump’s legacy and infrastructure initiatives.
Together, the ceremonies underscore a growing number of public landmarks bearing the president’s name during his second term in office, particularly in Republican-led states that have sought to commemorate Trump’s political career and longstanding ties to their communities.
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