Shouldn't airports shorten their names?

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Jan 16, 2015, 4:29 am

#61

pk45cu

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EWR and DCA were named that way for purely political reasons.

After 9/11, the Port Authority of NY/NJ and other pols wanted to be seen as to be "doing something" to show support for victims. Never mind all the real things they could do actually help the victims or to make the airport safer. It's a typically political reaction to any crisis, to be seen to be doing something vs. doing something useful or thought through.

DCA's renaming was because the GOP wanted to name it after Reagan, and the Dems traded some other symbolic acts in return. Again, typical political behaviour, never mind the cost of the name change. (See http://www.nytimes.com/1998/02/04/us...or-reagan.html)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Box5

Too long?

BWI
Baltimore Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport
why not: Thurgood Marshall Airport

EWR
Newark Liberty International Airport
why not: Newark Airport

DCA
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport
why not: Washington National Airport
why not; National Airport (that's what I called it when I still called airlines to make a reservation in the early 90's.)

ATL
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
why not: Hartsfield-Jackson Airport
why not: Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport

PIA
General Wayne A. Downing Peoria International Airport
why not: General Downing Airport
International make a joke of the airport

LBB
Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport
why not Preston Smith Airport or Lubbock Airport

DFW
Dallas Fort Worth International Airport
ok, but the old name sounded understated and classy: Dallas Fort Worth Regional Airport
Regional must have been fashionable for a while. In Louisiana, they still call it Shreveport Regional Airport, which is a fine airport. Change the name to Shreveport International Airport and it would be a joke. The same goes with CAE, Columbia Metropolitan Airport. A pleasant airport near Columbia, SC, changing the name to Columbia International Airport would be a joke name.

LAX and SFO are fine because those cities have many airports so the "international" part distinguishes them from Long Beach or Oakland.

MEL or Tullamarine Airport or Melbourne Airport are fine names. Nobody thinks Melbourne, Victoria, Australia is tiny or bad.

Jan 16, 2015, 6:13 am

#62

BlaiseBOS

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BWI as DC gateway

Quote:

Originally Posted by Totoro

Baltimore Airport would suffice. Baltimore-Washington was added later anyway to provide the illusion that the airport is a viable gateway to DC (it's really convenient only for the MD suburbs north of DC and not DC itself).

Until Dulles opened, BWI (then known as Friendship International Airport) was the major international airport for the DC area because Washington National could not handle the new 707 and other large aircraft for overseas flights.

BWI is obviously significantly more distant than DCA to Washington, but it certainly satisfies criteria to be considered a "viable" DC gateway. It has direct rail link to DC (something that Dulles still lacks), as well as express bus links to the metro stations.

For a one-day trip to the capital, sure DCA is the best. For other trips, BWI offers many advantages over DCA, with a great trade-off in terms of lower average cost and convenience.

Baltimore-Washington as an airport name has vastly more "truth-in-advertising" than, say, Boston-Manchester.

I wish they had kept the name Friendship. Even though it was named after a church that stood near the site and not a concept of how air links between nations could promote friendship, I think it's a lovely name for an international airport.

Last edited by BlaiseBOS; Jan 16, 2015 at 6:15 am Reason: typo fix

Jan 16, 2015, 7:02 am

#63

BalbC

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Quote:

Originally Posted by ckx2

London Heathrow Airport
Tokyo Haneda Airport
Charles de Gaulle Airport
Frankfurt Airport
Istanbul Atatuerk Airport
Singapore Changi Airport
Suvarnabhumi Airport
Madrid Barajas Airport
Munich Airport
Sydney Kingsford-Smith Airport
Leonardo da Vinci–Fiumicino Airport
Barcelona–El Prat Airport
Melbourne Airport

It's pointless ..

HND is called Tokyo International airport
(NRT was called New Tokyo International airport, not confusing at all)

Jan 16, 2015, 7:09 am

#64

SoCal

Join Date: Jul 2006

Posts: 2,188

National Airport was just that for years and years. It was Congress that added Ronald Reagan to the name. At least one Congressman wanted to name a federal building after Reagan in every Congressional district. Seems pretty ironic to "honor" someone supposedly against big government. Shortening BWI to Thurgood Marshall is silly. Gives no clue to location (even the Washington part really doesn't, either, but it's marketing). Those who renamed Burbank Airport (Burbank-Hollywood and even Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena) Bob Hope Airport are rethinking their decision.

Jan 16, 2015, 7:38 am

#65

ajGoes

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Quote:

Originally Posted by florin

I doubt that. Dayton INTERNATIONAL airport probably hasn't had a flight from outside the US land there in yons. It's a way to make the airport seem more important. Nobody really cares.

AC had a YYZ-DAY flight until a couple of years ago. The route comes and goes. And, as pointed out upthread, DAY is an international airport whether or not it has scheduled international passenger service.

Jan 16, 2015, 9:05 am

#66

pinniped

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YYZ-DAY would be a domestic flight on the DAY end of things. We have that one at MCI as well: one Jazz flight a day to/from YYZ. It uses a regular United gate.

The international facilities at MCI are used for seasonal Mexico charters. I see them advertised around here semi-often - Cancun and PVR spring break packages - I think they use Frontier metal. (I've seen a Frontier A320 parked down there at the international gate anyway...)

Jan 16, 2015, 9:06 am

#67

gtu2004

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OP, why do you think it's a good idea to exclude the city name from the airport name? To make you feel more special that you know some of the more obscure airports than some others? Too bad ego and airport names took too much brain space for common sense to survive...

Jan 16, 2015, 9:13 am

#68

pinniped

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Quote:

Originally Posted by BlaiseBOS

I wish they had kept the name Friendship. Even though it was named after a church that stood near the site and not a concept of how air links between nations could promote friendship, I think it's a lovely name for an international airport.

Friendship would be fine, or "Baltimore" would be fine. When I've used it for access to DC, I've found it dreadful. When I've used it for access to Baltimore, it's great. Nothing wrong with the airport itself: just that it's nowhere near Washington D.C.

By the same token, I'd be fine if they renamed IAD to Chantilly Airport. That place is just as bad as BWI when it comes to getting into DC proper...

I also liked the days when National was just National. That was clean and easy.

Jan 16, 2015, 9:20 am

#69

howahya

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Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport = MSY? It was formerly known as Moisant Field and the letters seem to have stuck to it! Someone change it all and make it bigger please.

Jan 16, 2015, 9:20 am

#70

beachmouse

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Quote:

Originally Posted by florin

I doubt that. Dayton INTERNATIONAL airport probably hasn't had a flight from outside the US land there in yons. It's a way to make the airport seem more important. Nobody really cares.

Dayton falls in the category of 'close enough to Ontario that they'll get light cross-border traffic from the recreational GA crowd". Part of the joy for a lot of private plane owners is firing up the engine and saying "Honey, let's go to a different state (or country) for lunch today!" to their spouse.

Jan 16, 2015, 9:25 am

#71

pinniped

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Quote:

Originally Posted by beachmouse

Part of the joy for a lot of private plane owners is firing up the engine and saying "Honey, let's go to a different state (or country) for lunch today!" to their spouse.

And who doesn't immediately think "Dayton!" when they do that?

Jan 16, 2015, 9:27 am

#72

ajGoes

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Quote:

Originally Posted by pinniped

YYZ-DAY would be a domestic flight on the DAY end of things. We have that one at MCI as well: one Jazz flight a day to/from YYZ. It uses a regular United gate.

Good point. There were YYZ-DAY flights years ago, before that applied, but nowadays the international designation only applies to freight and private passenger flights.

Jan 16, 2015, 9:29 am

#73

beachmouse

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Quote:

Originally Posted by pinniped

And who doesn't immediately think "Dayton!" when they do that?

Was thinking more of the local Dayton population heading outbound. They've probably got a larger regional hobby GA scene than a lot of cities of similar size because of people affiliated with Wright-Patterson AFB.

Jan 16, 2015, 9:30 am

#74

ajGoes

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Quote:

Originally Posted by pinniped

And who doesn't immediately think "Dayton!" when they do that?

I'm sure DAY gets a fair number of flights from Canada for day trips to the Air Force Museum, a popular destination for aviation enthusiasts. Speaking of which, that is no longer its official name; a few years ago, it was renamed the National Museum of the United States Air Force.