Airport name change spurs protest petition - Piedmont Triad International Airport. Critics of a name change for the airport to Central North Carolina International Airport have launched a petition drive to block the name change. Airport authority members, appointed by area governments, say they’ve been discussing this change for months. But quietly, without public input. So public reaction, not surprisingly, is ... unenthusiastic. The following written by Paul B. Johnson HIGH POINT ENTERPRISE STAFF WRITER Dec 23, 2017: “GUILFORD COUNTY - Business owner and air traveler Nicky Smith wants to ground the new name proposed for the region’s airport before it takes off any further. Smith, who runs a digital phone service company out of Greensboro, launched an online petition Wednesday night to convince airport leaders to reconsider their decision. On Tuesday, airport officials announced the name of the airport would change from Piedmont Triad International Airport, which it has been for the past 30 years, to Central North Carolina International Airport. As of early Friday evening, Smith's online petition through the website had gathered nearly 850 electronic signatures. Smith said his goal is to garner at least 10,000 names on the protest petition. Someone didn’t think this through. We are not in central North Carolina here - central North Carolina is Seagrove. I think this whole thing is a joke, Smith told The High Point Enterprise. Airport officials, along with business leaders, say the name change better reflects where the region is in the state and pinpoints the airport’s location in North Carolina. The name change will help the region identify the airport more immediately with business recruitment prospects across the country and world, they contend. But Smith said he speaks for a large number of airport passengers who are upset not only about the name change, but that the opinions of passengers weren’t taken into account before the decision was made. No public announcement about the consideration of the name change was made prior to the vote of the airport’s governing board this past Tuesday. Smith said he doesn’t believe the reasons given by airport leaders for the name change come close to justify getting rid of the title Piedmont Triad International Airport. Why change something that’s not broken? said Smith, who said he flies periodically from the airport. I don’t think this is going to make more people come here because we identify ourselves as central North Carolina.“ - - - - - - - Anyone traveling to the Greensboro, Winston-Salem High Point area REALLY doesn't care what we call our airport. Visitors are going to come to the area NOT because of the airport name but what events, conventions, or activities are here in the area. We could call it Porky Pig Airport and it wouldn't matter. The goal is to bring people to the area for what we offer, and not what we call our airport. If we allow the Airport Authority directors make this change we might as well change the Greensboro Coliseum Complex to the North Carolina Central Coliseum Complex (NCCCC), that might bring some new events and concerts to Central North Carolina. The GAC (Greensboro Aquatics Center) will need to be renamed to Central NC Aquatics Swim Center (CNCASC) and world know High Point Furniture Market will also have to change its name to reflect its new location within the State being Central North Carolina. The list goes on. Has the Piedmont Triad Airport Authority Board of Directors thought about all these changes and ramifications this simple change might cause. Not to mention all the North Carolina Highway signs that will have to be changed and the poor people in the real Central North Carolina. I am confident that the communities in Central North Carolina, Siler City, Sanford, Seagrove, Star and Southern Pines might have a Central North Carolina International Airport that would bring large employers like Amazon to their area. Also will North Carolina Central University benefit from this change in Durham, North Carolina? Now more than ever I need your help over the Christmas Holidays to send this to all your friends to add their names to the petition. As of today, December 24th on Christmas eve we have more than 2,500 signers of this petition. We need 10,000! If you feel strong as I do about this I encourage you to voice your concerns about this foolish change to the Piedmont Triad Airport Authority Board of Directors. The Airport Authority was officially renamed the Piedmont Triad Airport Authority in 1987. Its members are appointed by Guilford County - 3 members, Forsyth County - 1 member, Greensboro City Council - 1 member, High Point City Council - 1 member and the Winston Salem City Council - 1 member. Stephen D. Showfety, Chairman, Email sshowfety@kourycorp.com Don Webb, Vice Chair, Email don.webb@wellsfargoadvisors.com Paul Mengert, Treasurer, email: pmengert@amgworld.com Linda Shaw, Secretary, Email: IMLShaw@aol.com James White, Member, email not known Graham Bennett, Member, Email: gbennett@qocnc.com Allen Joines, Member, Email: allenj@cityofws.org Wishing all a very Merry Christmas, Nicky Smith