By popular demand, a new name for Piedmont Triad International Airport has been grounded indefinitely. Facing fierce headwinds of public opposition, the ill-fated rebranding, as Central North Carolina International Airport, is stuck on the tarmac, probably forever. Good riddance. The new name was as vague as it was uninteresting. Good riddance as well to a closed-door process that conceived it with very little forewarning and with zero input from the general public. If only they’d asked first, they would have known this idea wouldn’t fly. Instead, they’re backing up after taxiing prematurely to the runway. The Piedmont Triad Airport Authority announced last week that the airport will use its current name for the next several months while it solicits other renaming ideas from the public. Earlier this month, the authority had even tried to change its story — to convince us that the new name never was intended to be a done deal — after announcing in December that it would take effect on Jan. 1. “... The vote to change the name of the airport authorized staff to begin the rebranding process, including hiring a professional branding firm to develop a new brand,” the Airport Authority said in a news release — on Jan. 11. “That process is expected to take several months.” Yeah. Right. The good news is that the airport’s leadership realized its mistake (better late than never). And that the public clearly believes it has a stake in the airport’s name. After all, people wouldn’t be so upset if they didn’t care. That resistance sparked a useful discussion not only about what to call the airport, but its assets and weaknesses, from some of the best experts of all: people who actually use it. An online petition in opposition to the new name drew more than 6,000 signatures. Letters to the News & Record about the issue are still coming in (so far, still not even one has favored the name Central North Carolina). “The name you proposed … was simply laughed at by many thousands,” Nicky Smith, who started the online petition, told the airport’s board last week. “Nobody expected the kind of public interest in the name,” PTI’s executive director, Kevin Baker, said at the same meeting. If the authority is smart, it will put that interest to good use. What better opportunity to promote the airport’s selling points? Its ease of use and convenience. - Its ample parking. - Its friendly staff, including shuttle drivers who practically will pull up to your bumper to offer a ride from your car to the terminal. - Some fares that are cheaper than what you’d get in Raleigh and Charlotte. - Departure gates that don’t take frantic, five-mile scrambles through teeming masses to reach. - The 5,000 people who work on its campus at wages 33 percent higher than the region’s average household income. - The critical role it plays in the Triad economy, not only as a passenger terminal, but as a magnet for industries, including the FedEx cargo hub, HondaJet and HAECO Americas. - Most significantly, whatever you call it, our airport has room to grow. A new taxiway bridge will open more land for industrial development. And potential new jobs. As for what’s in a name? In the grander scheme of things, probably not a lot. But the debate it set off certainly got our attention. And since they’re asking, here’s our two cents: The new name should be practical (as in mentioning where you actually are when you get here) and inclusive (as in giving props to the broader region the airport serves). Greensboro Triad International Airport. Source: Andrew Krech with the News & Record http://www.greensboro.com/opinion/n_and_r_editorials/our-opinion-the-silver-lining-in-the-pti-snafu/article_506fe935-e209-5087-bbbe-eacac80d54cd.html - - - - - - - Please continue to spread this petition to your friends to sign. If they do not have access to Facebook or other social media visit http://StandByPTI.com Thanking all for this support, Nicky Smith