Seen in the Courant:
So far, nobody has formally proposed John G. Rowland International Airport.
But almost anything’s possible as state transportation officials contemplate renaming Bradley International Airport.[...]
In a more serious vein, one board member suggested “Bradley-New England International Airport.” Other off-the-cuff suggestions included “New England International Airport” and a quickly torpedoed suggestion incorporating Windsor Locks in the name.[...]
But transportation and economic development officials are eager to make the airport and its name as recognizable and evocative as possible to lure more visitors. And the issue has taken on greater urgency now that Bradley offers daily nonstop service to Europe, where people are unlikely to associate the Bradley name with anything. Bradley is also facing growing competition from Stewart International Airport in Newburgh, N.Y.
Personally, I think renaming BDL would be a bit of a waste, since if I’m not mistaken, most non-road-warrior-types outside the region think of BDL as “Hartford” or “Hartford/Springfield”, rather than Bradley. And, among the domestic travel set, “Bradley” is a known entity.
If the powers that be feel obliged to waste a ton of money to rename the airport, I do have to admit that “Bradley-New England” might be a tolerable option. However, some of the tongue-in-cheek suggestions in the courant.com sidebar are entertaining:
- Barely International Airport
- That Airport Between New York and Boston
- Get Outta Hartford Fast International Airport