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November 11, 2009

The Airport receives a new name...again

PANAMA CITY -- The Airport Authority voted Tuesday to change the name of the new airport under construction near West Bay to the Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport.
The change, in a close 3-2 vote, came just a month after the board named the new airport the Northwest Florida-Panama City International Airport, a label that drew critical comments from some quarters because of the "Panama City" tag, officials said.

"We did receive quite a few comments from the public and other government agencies," airport Executive Director Randy Curtis said.

Curtis said that over the course of two years in discussions with possible airlines for the new facility, carriers had made clear they hoped a name would be chosen with a more regional perspective to help marketing efforts.

Board Vice Chairman Bill Cramer protested that he thought the new name, with its Beaches moniker, made the Panhandle seem too "one dimensional."

He said the previous name, with its use of both "Northwest Florida" and "Panama City," accomplished the twin objectives of branding the region and letting visitors know the city they were flying into. Most large airports in Florida use the home city in their official names, Cramer said, and Panama City had a lot of "brand equity."
Both Cramer and board member Gerry Clemons, a former Panama City mayor, voted against changing the name.

Clemons said Panama City had spent millions of dollars over past years in efforts to keep the current airport afloat and deserved the recognition.

Written by Pat Kelly of the Panama City News Herald

News discovered by Beach Properties of Florida agent Tommy Brantley.