Palm Beach International Airport is a public airport in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. It is located just west of the city of West Palm Beach, for which it serves as the primary airport. It is also the primary airport for most of Palm Beach County, serving the suburbs and cities of Boca Raton, Wellington, Boynton Beach, Jupiter, and Palm Beach Gardens. It is the third busiest airport in the Miami metropolitan area, after Miami International Airport and Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport.

Palm Beach Airport is operated by the Palm Beach County Department of Airports. Road access to the airport is direct from I-95, Southern Boulevard, and Congress Avenue. The airport is bordered on the west by Military Trail.

In February 2026, the Florida Legislature approved a bill to rename the airport to the President Donald J. Trump International Airport, after the current president Donald Trump. The bill was signed into law by Florida governor Ron DeSantis the following month. The rename required Federal Aviation Administration approval to be finalized and is scheduled to take place on July 1, 2026. It was officially approved by the FAA on May 15, and it will be the first time a United States airport will be named after a sitting president.

History

Palm Beach International Airport began operations in 1936 as Morrison Field. It was named in honor of Grace Morrison, a key participant in the planning and organization of the airfield. The first flight departing the field was a New York-bound DC-2 operated by Eastern Air Lines in 1936. The airport was officially dedicated on December 19, 1936.

In 1937, the airport expanded beyond an airstrip and an administration building when the Palm Beach Aero Corporation obtained a lease, built hangars and the first terminal on the south side of the airport. The new terminal was known as the Eastern Air Lines Terminal.

In 1947, the newly established U.S. Air Force returned ownership of Morrison Field to Palm Beach County. The name was then changed to Palm Beach International Airport one year later, in 1948.

After several years of Palm Beach County fighting the Air Force presence in West Palm Beach, the Air Force started to close down operations there. The 1707 ATW was inactivated on June 30, 1959, and reassigned to Tinker AFB, Oklahoma. With the wing's departure, Palm Beach County took over airfield operations. The Air Force retained a small presence at the base with the 9th Weather Group becoming the main operational unit at Palm Beach AFB, performing hurricane and weather research for the Air Weather Service. The Air Photographic and Charting Service (APCS) moved its 1370th Photo-Mapping Wing to the base, performing geodetic survey flights. The Air Force finally closed Palm Beach AFB in 1962, and all property was conveyed to Palm Beach International Airport the same year.

Delta Air Lines began scheduled flights in 1959 and Capital Airlines in 1960. The first turbine-powered flights were Eastern Airlines Lockheed L-188 Electras in 1959, and Eastern DC-8 nonstops to Idlewild started in December 1960.

Air Force One was a frequent visitor to PBI during John F. Kennedy's presidency in the early 1960s. Local voters defeated a proposal to relocate the airport around this time, instead choosing to expand the existing facilities. In October 1966, an eight-gate Main Terminal opened on the northeast side of the airport; in 1974 Delta Air Lines moved into its own six-gate terminal with the airport's first jetways. By 1979, National operated daily DC-10 service to JFK, LaGuardia and Miami, while Eastern operated L-1011s to Atlanta and Delta operated L-1011s to Tampa. By 1985, eight widebodies a day flew between PBI and the three New York airports.

The 25-gate David McCampbell Terminal, named for a World War II naval flying ace, was dedicated in 1988. In 2003, a new landscaped I-95 interchange was built to decrease traffic on Southern Boulevard (US 98) extending Turnage Boulevard (the road around the perimeter of the concourse).

Competition from rapidly expanding Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport cut growth at the airport in the 1990s. The 2001 recession and the September 11 terrorist attacks further inhibited growth, but development in South Florida since 2002 has finally led to a surge of passenger traffic at the airport. In addition, discount carriers such as JetBlue and Southwest Airlines began service to PBI. In 2006, the county embarked on an interim expansion program by breaking ground on a 7-story parking garage and the addition of 3 gates in Concourse C. Long range expansions include gates at Concourse B and the eventual construction of a new 14 gate Concourse D to be extended east from the present terminal.

thumb|[[Air Force One departing Palm Beach Airport in 2017, carrying President Donald J. Trump.]]

Donald Trump sued to block the expansion of one of the runways at PBI in 2010. In 2015, he initiated a $100 million lawsuit over the flight path that passes over his Mar-a-Lago estate. After his win in the 2016 presidential election ensured some type of no fly zone over his property, he later dropped the lawsuit. During his presidential term, Air Force One again became a frequent visitor to PBI, typically parking on the south side of the airport near Southern Boulevard. Until 2017, a line of school buses was used as a temporary barrier between the aircraft and onlookers. Temporary security fences began being used requiring assembly and disassembling.

In February 2026, lawmakers in the Florida legislature approved a bill to rename the airport to the "President Donald J. Trump International Airport" by a vote of 25 to 11 in the Florida Senate and 81 to 30 in the Florida House of Representatives. Florida governor Ron DeSantis signed the bill into law in March 2026, The Trump Organization filed to trademark the airport's new name.

Facilities

Runways and taxiways

Palm Beach International Airport covers and has three runways:

  • 10L/28R: 10,001 x 150 ft. (3,048 x 46 m), asphalt
  • 10R/28L: 3,214 x 75 ft. (980 x 23 m), asphalt
  • 14/32: 6,931 x 150 ft. (2,113 x 46 m), asphalt

The airport's runway designations were changed by the Federal Aviation Administration to their current configuration on December 17, 2009. Previously, they had been 09L/27R, 09R/27L, and 13/31.

Terminal

thumb|The airport's terminal in 2016, with Concourse C visible at center.

Palm Beach International Airport has one terminal, which consists of 31 gates (27 jetway gates, 4 hardstands) and three concourses. and serves Allegiant Air, Avelo Airlines, and Bahamasair.

  • Concourse B contains 13 gates (B1–B12, B14), and serves American Airlines, Avelo Airlines, Southwest Airlines, Sun Country Airlines, and United Airlines. and serves Air Canada, Breeze Airways, Delta Air Lines, Frontier Airlines, JetBlue, and Porter Airlines. The current tower replaced the previous one, which was located on the southern side of the airport.

These apparatus include:

  • An air stair for emergency deplanings
  • Five airport crash tenders, with call sign Dragon (Dragon 1, Dragon 2, etc.)
  • A foam unit that carries Purple-K concentrate to assist with extinguishing a fire
  • A heavy rescue vehicle that carries additional tools for plane crashes and other mass-casualty incidents

Trauma Hawk

thumb|Trauma Hawk 1 at its hangar at Palm Beach International Airport

The Trauma Hawk Station, which is located at the south west corner of the airport, Palm Beach County Fire Rescue has two Sikorsky S-76C helos. The department partners with the Palm Beach County Health Care District to operate the Trauma Hawk Aero-Medical Program. The Trauma Hawk program, which was established in November 1990, replaced the use of Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office helicopters to medevac critically injured patients to area hospitals. Toronto–Pearson

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| Allegiant Air | Asheville, Cincinnati, Grand Rapids, Pittsburgh <br /> Seasonal: Memphis, Minneapolis/St. Paul

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| American Airlines | Charlotte, Chicago–O'Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth, Philadelphia, Washington–National <br /> Seasonal: Boston, New York–LaGuardia

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| Avelo Airlines | New Haven <br /> Seasonal: Wilmington (DE)

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| Bahamasair | Marsh Harbour

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| Breeze Airways | Atlantic City (begins December 17, 2026), New Haven, Norfolk, Raleigh/Durham <br /> Seasonal: Akron/Canton, Charleston (SC), Richmond

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| Delta Air Lines | Atlanta, Boston, Detroit, Los Angeles (begins November 20, 2026), New York–JFK, New York–LaGuardia <br />Seasonal: Minneapolis/St. Paul

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| Frontier Airlines | Atlanta, Cincinnati, Cleveland,

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| JetBlue | Boston, Hartford, Long Island/Islip, New York–JFK, New York–LaGuardia, Newark, Providence, Washington–National, White Plains <br />Seasonal: Los Angeles

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| JSX | White Plains <br/> Charter: Teterboro

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| Porter Airlines | Seasonal: Toronto–Pearson

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| Southwest Airlines | Baltimore, Long Island/Islip, Nashville, Orlando <br /> Seasonal: Buffalo, Providence,

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| | Seasonal: Minneapolis/St. Paul

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| United Airlines | Chicago–O'Hare, Newark, Houston–Intercontinental <br /> Seasonal: Denver, Washington–Dulles

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| United Express | Seasonal: Washington–Dulles

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Statistics

thumb|[[United Airlines Boeing 737 at PBI]]

Top destinations

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size: 95%" width= align=

|+ Busiest domestic routes from PBI <!-- BTS DATA IS ONLY FOR DESTINATIONS; THIS IS NOT "TO AND FROM" --> (January 2025 – December 2025)

! Rank

! City

! Passengers

! Carriers

|-

| 1

| Atlanta, Georgia

| 612,140

| Delta, Frontier, Southwest

|-

| 2

| Newark, New Jersey

| 469,570

| JetBlue, United

|-

| 3

| New York–LaGuardia, New York

| 411,180

| Delta, JetBlue, Spirit

|-

| 4

| Charlotte, North Carolina

| 280,850

| American

|-

| 5

| Boston, Massachusetts

| 276,380

| American, Delta, JetBlue

|-

| 6

| New York–JFK, New York

| 267,640

| Delta, JetBlue

|-

| 7

| Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

| 215,180

| American, Frontier

|-

| 8

| White Plains, New York

| 192,210

| Delta, JetBlue

|-

| 9

| Washington–National, D.C.

| 178,500

| American, JetBlue

|-

| 10

| Long Island/Islip, New York

| 166,990

| Frontier, JetBlue, Southwest

|}

Airline market share

{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%" width= align=

|+Top airlines at PBI (February 2023–January 2024)

|-

! Rank

! Airline

! Passengers

! Percent of market share

|-

| 1

| JetBlue Airways

| 2,060,000

| 27.19%

|-

| 2

| Delta Air Lines

| 1,970,000

| 26.01%

|-

| 3

| American Airlines

| 1,413,000

| 18.66%

|-

| 4

| United Airlines

| 824,000

| 10.87%

|-

| 5

| Southwest Airlines

| 578,000

| 7.63%

|-

| -

| Other

| 730,000

| 9.64%

|}

Annual traffic

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size: 95%"

|+ Annual passenger traffic (enplaned + deplaned), 1989–present

! Year

! Passengers

! Year

! Passengers

! Year

! Passengers

! Year

! Passengers

|-

| 1989||5,115,700||1999||5,742,634||2009||5,994,606||2019||6,899,919

|-

| 1990||5,691,410||2000||5,842,594||2010||5,887,723||2020||3,085,200

|-

| 1991||5,077,573||2001||5,939,404||2011||5,769,583||2021||5,260,748

|-

| 1992||5,023,693||2002||5,483,662||2012||5,609,168||2022||6,640,043

|-

| 1993||5,074,132||2003||6,014,186||2013||5,691,747||2023||7,766,225

|-

| 1994||5,588,434||2004||6,537,263||2014||5,886,384||2024||8,403,519

|-

| 1995||5,418,831||2005||7,014,237||2015||6,265,530||2025||8,657,372

|-

| 1996||5,680,913||2006||6,824,789||2016||6,264,397||2026||

|-

| 1997||5,813,361||2007||6,936,449||2017||6,322,452||2027||

|-

| 1998||5,899,482||2008||6,476,303||2018||6,513,943||2028||

|}

Ground transportation

Car

Interstate 95, Southern Boulevard, and Congress Avenue all serve – and provide direct vehicular access to – the airport.

Public transportation

Bus

Palm Tran bus routes 2 and 44 serve the airport.

Rail

Palm Beach International Airport is near the West Palm Beach Brightline Station (served by Brightline) and the West Palm Beach Amtrak/Tri-Rail station (served by Amtrak intercity trains and Tri-Rail commuter trains). A Palm Tran shuttle bus service connects the latter station with the airport.

  • On January 30, 2008, American Airlines Flight 1738, a Boeing 757 flying from Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico, to Philadelphia International Airport, had to make an emergency landing in West Palm Beach after the captain reported smoke in the cockpit. Of the 137 passengers and seven crewmembers, one passenger and five crewmembers were taken to the hospital, including the captain and the first officer.
  • On November 11, 2010, a Piper PA-44 Seminole flying from Palm Beach International Airport to Melbourne Orlando International Airport crashed on a taxiway after an engine failed during takeoff. The plane was operated by Florida Institute of Technology's College of Aeronautics and all four aboard—two FIT flight students, a flight instructor, and a passenger—were killed.
  • On October 25, 2012, Spirit Airlines Flight 946, an Airbus A319 flying from Rafael Núñez International Airport in Cartagena, Colombia, to Fort Lauderdale International Airport, had made an emergency landing after engine No. 2 had failed on the aircraft. The plane had landed safely, and there was no damage to the plane or injuries reported.
  • On March 24, 2014, Delta Air Lines Flight 2014, a McDonnell Douglas MD-90 flying from Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport to Palm Beach International Airport, had declared an emergency due to a hydraulic problem and made an emergency landing on runway 28R. There was no damage to the plane and there were no injuries.
  • On July 21, 2016, American Airlines Flight 1822, an Airbus A319 flying from Palm Beach International Airport to Philadelphia International Airport experienced a hydraulic fluid leak while taxiing for departure. Passengers exited the aircraft via emergency slides. Seventeen people were treated for various injuries.
  • On May 10, 2022, a Cessna 208 Caravan with two passengers aboard en route from Marsh Harbour Airport in the Bahamas to Treasure Coast International Airport in Fort Pierce, Florida, made an emergency landing at Palm Beach International Airport. After the pilot fell ill and lost consciousness, passenger Darren Harrison took control and called the tower at Treasure Coast International. Robert Morgan, an air traffic controller and a certified flight instructor, guided Harrison, who had no flying experience, to land safely at Palm Beach. The pilot who collapsed was hospitalized and his condition later stabilized. Neither passenger was injured.
  • On January 24, 2023, an alleged bomb threat aboard a Frontier Airlines flight prompted authorities to evacuate Concourse C of the airport. A passenger made a statement that there was a bomb in his bags. The passenger who made the threat was arrested by the FBI.

See also

  • Florida World War II Army Airfields
  • List of airports in Florida
  • Transportation in South Florida

References

Notes

  • Palm Beach International Airport, official site
  • Terminal Map with airlines
  • Palm Beach International Airport 1966–1988