U.S. FAA to change navigation codes named after Trump

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said on Thursday it would rename three navigational waypoints that are currently named after Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump.

FAA spokeswoman Laura Brown said the so-called "fixes" are used by pilots as waypoints to determine their position on a route. The three at issue are located near Palm Beach International Airport in Florida.

"In general, the FAA chooses names that are non-controversial and relate to the area in which the fixes are located," Brown said in a statement. She said it could take several months to update the names.

It is not uncommon in the United States to name flight coordinates after celebrities.

Trump has lost business relationships in recent weeks after saying that many illegal immigrants in the United States are criminals.

The New York Times first reported the FAA's plans.

(Reporting by Emily Stephenson; Editing by Sandra Maler)