Manassas Regional Airport in Virginia could be renamed Washington Manassas Airport as city officials prepare the field for the start of commercial passenger operations. The move, though, has drawn opposition from some residents who want the city’s name to remain prominent.
Manassas City Council is expected to consider the proposed change at its April 13 meeting, after earlier delaying action amid public feedback. The airport, which is located about 30 miles southwest of Washington, is undergoing a $125 million redevelopment that includes a new terminal intended to support scheduled airline service as early as 2027.
The proposed name was recommended by the airport commission and supported by airport operator Avports, which has told city officials that including “Washington” would improve the airport’s visibility to airlines and travelers searching for service to the nation’s capital.
“[Avports was] very clear that when businesses and people search for a place to land, their services are predicated on Washington, not Manassas,” Vice Mayor Mark Wolfe told local WTOP. “They also were extremely clear that the airlines they are finalizing negotiations with said we very much need to change the name to help their search engines.”
City Council member Theresa Coates Ellis told The Washington Post, “No one’s going to search for ‘Manassas Airport.’”
Residents who spoke at recent public meetings, however, said they were concerned that the proposed rebrand would diminish the airport’s local identity, history and community.
“Manassas should come first. Period. Hard stop,” former City Council member Lynn Forkell Greene said, according to the Prince William Times.
Another resident, Rick Levinson, said at a council meeting covered by The Washington Post that he did not believe the airport’s success depended on a new name and raised concerns about possible legal disputes with other Washington-area airports.
City officials also addressed questions about cost. City Manager Steve Burke said an estimated $500,000 for airport signage would come from the airport’s enterprise fund and private partners rather than the city’s general tax revenue, WTOP reported.