Palm Beach International Airport is mulling improvements to become “a world-class” facility following its name change to Donald J. Trump International Airport, according to County Administrator Joe Abruzzo.
Among the features up for discussion, Abruzzo said, could be more modern terminals and upgrades to the passenger experience overall.
Abruzzo’s assertions echoed those of Trump earlier this month. During a May 1 before the Forum Club in West Palm Beach, the president hinted that major upgrades were coming to the airport but omitted specifying what they would be.
“We have a lot of things in store,” Trump said. “A lot of tremendous elements are going to be added, making it bigger and better. I don’t think there’ll be anything as good as your airport will be anywhere in the country.”
Those elements, however, still appear in the brainstorming stage. What is certain is the airport will have a name change coming very soon. County commissioners voted 4-3 to rename the airport after Trump earlier this month following a contentious public hearing.
The agreement bars the Trump Organization from profiting off the renaming at the airport, but that could happen elsewhere. Florida Democrats opposed the name change, arguing that it is not appropriate to do it while a president is still in office.
The estimated cost of the renaming project is approximately $5.5 million. Airport officials remain optimistic that these expenses will be covered by state funding.
Still, the president’s speech in West Palm Beach stirred interest when he claimed PBI would become bigger and better once it becomes DJT in June. Details on those changes, however, remain scant, at least publicly.
Abruzzo, who has developed a close working relationship with the president, did not want to specifically say what is being planned.
But he told The Palm Beach Post that he expects improvements recommended in the airport’s master plan to be “implemented much faster than originally anticipated. That can include terminal modernization, roadway and access improvements, airside capacity enhancements, and passenger experience upgrades.”
Palm Beach County’s Department of Airports is planning for significant long‑term expansion and modernization at the airport to handle rising passenger traffic, growth in private aviation, and airfield capacity constraints.
The proposals extend beyond the current five‑year capital plan and would unfold over one to two decades if approved and funded. The cost to fund those projects is expected to exceed $500 million. All major runway or terminal expansions require federal approval and environmental review.
Many of these projects exceed current funding capacity and would require multi‑year phasing, new revenue strategies, or public‑private partnerships. But Trump, as president, could ensure that the federal government provides that funding and instruct the FAA to accelerate its review of them.
“The focus is on ensuring Palm Beach County is positioned for continued growth, increased demand, and future international prominence,” said Abruzzo, noting that airport officials have already begun working with Federal Aviation Administration officials to submit requests for federal grants to undertake the improvements.
They include extending the existing short parallel runway to accommodate commercial jets, a move intended to prevent the airport from exceeding capacity. The project would enable PBI to operate two usable commercial runways, reducing peak-period delays.
Airport officials have said that, without additional runway capacity, total aircraft operations are projected to reach the airport’s maximum capacity within the next decade. During the 12 months ending in March, nearly 9 million passengers flew out of PBI, an increase of 2%.
The Trump-Abruzzo alliance
Abruzzo, a former Democratic state senator, developed a working relationship with Trump after becoming county administrator nearly a year ago. The two would seem to be unlikely allies, but Abruzzo said it is to the county’s benefit for him to work with the president whose Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach is now his official residence.
A lifelong Democrat, Abruzzo said that when he was hired, he pledged not to engage in partisan politics.
“I’m here to get the job done as county administrator,” Abruzzo added. “And over time, I have become friends with President Trump. He cares deeply about Palm Beach County and wants to make it a better place to live. He is very passionate about it.”
Abruzzo said his involvement with the president centers on county issues and trying to get the best deal he can for county taxpayers.
Trump has heaped praise on Abruzzo.
“He (Abruzzo) is phenomenal,” Trump said at the Forum Club dinner. “He is a real diamond. You (Abruzzo) are doing a fantastic job. It (the county) has never been run better.”
Mike Diamond is a journalist at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. He covers Palm Beach County government. You can reach him at mdiamond@pbpost.com. Help support local journalism. Subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Trump teases major upgrades as PBI airport prepares to change to DJT
Reporting by Mike Diamond, Palm Beach Post / Palm Beach Post
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
