Palm Beach International Airport officially began operating under its new name, President Donald J. Trump International Airport, on Thursday. To commemorate the change, Eric Trump took the inaugural flight into the South Florida hub aboard Trump Force One.
The renaming ceremony, marked by the first flight touching down at 5:01 a.m., signifies the airport's new designation following a law signed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis earlier this year. The airport had been known as Palm Beach International Airport for nearly fifty years.
Eric Trump expressed his pride in the renaming, stating that his father is deeply connected to Palm Beach, citing his Mar-a-Lago estate located a few miles from the airport. He also highlighted the significance of using Trump Force One for the first flight, describing it as a plane that "carried him to victory" and was a backdrop for numerous campaign stops.
"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," Eric Trump said on "Fox & Friends." He added, "I don't think there's anybody more synonymous with Palm Beach than Donald Trump."
He described the moment as "incredibly special" for his family and a tribute to his father's legacy. "He's a man that deserves it. He's the man that's done so much for this country," he stated. "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. Today was a really, really special moment."