Palm Beach International Airport (PBI) is officially moving forward with plans to rename itself as Donald J. Trump International Airport following a vote earlier today. That will determine if PBI gives the president direct control over much of the marketing and retailing operations as well.

This unconventional plan for the airport is also unusual because a privately owned operation would hold the rights to the trademark for the president, and not the public like most airfields. A View From The Wing reported that the change comes under a Florida law that will enact the new name on July 1 of this year.

PBI Brought To You By DJT: The Gateway To Mar-A-Lago

Credit: Department of Defense

When the deal was first proposed, opponents voiced concerns over the fact that Trump would profit from the new name of the airport. In response, the county and Airport Administration have set up the deal to exclude any direct income as a result of the renaming. At the same time, the exclusive and full control given to Trump for marketing and merchandising effectively grants him a business platform.

Additionally, caveats that declare continued rights to the “perpetual and unrestricted use” of the name for the State of Florida were mentioned in the official executive brief from the May 5 meeting of the Palm Beach County Commissioners. The result of the vote is pending public announcement. Trump is president of DTTM Operations LLC, which will manage the trademark and related operations at PBI should it be renamed.

Another odd point under the proposed deal that would give Trump control over his image at the airport is also that any goods sourced from vendors would have to be approved by Trump. The language of the Board of Commissioners plan does not specify any other requirements. The Miami Herald consulted trademark attorney Josh Gerben on the peculiarities of the PBI changes, who commented:

“Normally, a license agreement says that the goods have to be of a certain quality. It doesn’t say that you have to purchase them from a retailer that we’re approving them from.”

Executive Air Ops: PBI Joins The Ranks Of Presidential Aerodromes.

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The decision to dub an airfield after Trump is not an unheard-of legacy-building enterprise for the former commanders in chief of America, but some of the details for the PBI case are not typical. Palm Beach is where Trump primarily resides, as his club Mar-a-Lago is nearby, making the airport a clear choice if any were to be renamed. It is not unprecedented for an airport to be named after a president. However, none have been so honored while they were still in office.

A View From The Wing pointed out that while there are other airports in the US that bear the names of former presidents, none of them have set up privatized marketing or merchandising deals.

There is also a non-disparagement clause that prevents the airport from “tarnishing” Trump’s reputation, and as Gerben points out, because that allows Trump to control the biographical material used by the airport will not be written by a non-partisan third party but rather himself or his staff directly. But many of the other details under the new arrangement are not out of the ordinary, including the logo for the airport, which appears to be a simplified version of the presidential seal.

Trump Secures His Control Of The Narrative At Palm Beach

Credit: Department of Defense

By granting Trump the right to privately control marketing and biographical material used by the airport, instead of public officials creating it under the normal process, he can block information that might include aspects of his history he does not wish to emphasize, like legal allegations and political controversies.

Trump will have veto power over any material drafted for use at PBI after it is renamed. This ensures the messaging remains consistent with his own public persona. By controlling the narrative and branding, the Trump family maintains a tight grip on the commercial ecosystem of the airport.