"New England airport's new name too much of a mouthful"

Wednesday, May 24, 2006

Editorial
Airport's new name too much of a mouthful 
The Portsmouth (NH) Herald News


It's hard to know exactly why there has been a recent outbreak of airport
name changes in Northern New England. Last month, Manchester Airport changed
its name to Manchester-Boston Regional Airport in hopes of reviving
declining passenger numbers. 

In Massachusetts earlier this month, Worcester Regional Airport authorities
opted for the total mouthful gambit by changing its identity to Worcester
Metrowest Boston Airport in hopes of reviving declining passenger numbers. 

And now we have a local angle on what some would consider the triumph of
marketing overkill over common sense. Last week, the Pease Development
Authority board of directors approved the change from Pease International
Airport to Portsmouth International Airport at Pease. 

According to news reports, the new name of Portsmouth International Airport
at Pease represents a compromise. There were those who believed the Pease
name was too connected to the former Air Force base and it wasn't
geographically specific for the flying public and potential carriers. 

On the other side of the table, there were those like PDA board member
Anthony MacManus, who voted against the name change because "there's more to
Pease than Portsmouth - it represents an entire region." 

MacManus also opposed the airport name change because it went against the
grain of a larger marketing effort for Pease International Tradeport. 

PDA Vice Chairman Peter Laughlin, who supported the name change, said, "I'm
pleased the way we worked through the input we received." 

We have no problem with a name change at Pease as part of a larger marketing
effort for the tradeport in general and the unprofitable airport side in
particular. 

We do take issue with a mouthful of a name that could undermine the
airport's ability to attract more commercial aviation business. 

We are glad that the new name isn't Portsmouth-Boston Regional Airport or
even Portsmouth Metronorth Boston Regional Airport. 

But Portsmouth International Airport at Pease ranks in puzzling logic with
the switch done a few years ago by the professional baseball team The Los
Angeles Angels of Anaheim. It simply doesn't make sense and invites
ridicule. 

We recommend that the PDA go back to the drawing board and choose an
emphasis on either Pease or Portsmouth but not both. 

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