I first heard about this at work in the office last week and surprised it hasn’t yet been mentioned so thought I’d share it for all to enjoy!
[u]Rename Gatwick airport Croydon International, urges politician[/u]
Gatwick Airport should be renamed Croydon International, a politician has suggested.
Councillor Steve O’Connell, the borough’s London Assembly member, urged rebranding coupled with expansion to see the airport reborn with closer links to the “economic powerhouse” of south London.
He said he had discussed the idea with Stewart Wingate, Gatwick’s chief executive.
Mr O’Connell, Croydon Council’s cabinet member for finance, said: “Gatwick is 15 minutes from East Croydon, it is seen as a London airport and with the investment coming in to Croydon it is fast becoming the economic powerhouse of the south.
“So it would make sense to me to make even more of a closer alignment between greater Croydon and Gatwick, build a new runway – probably after 2020 – and then align it with Croydon.
“It then becomes the London airport of the south – Croydon is the economic powerhouse of the south, so it is Croydon International Airport.
“Gatwick will need an overhaul and I think there will be time for it to be reborn as Croydon International Airport.”
Mr O’Connell acknowledged the name change could sound “silly” and said he had yet to canvass support for the idea.
But he added: “You go to cities where there are airports that aren’t in the town itself, they are just outside.
“So it doesn’t have to be slap-bang in the middle of London to be a London Airport. Stansted is London Stansted so let’s have London Croydon.
“We are flying the idea up the flagpole and we’ll see where it takes us.”
The Kenley councillor said Mr Wingate had been noncommital on the idea of changing Gatwick’s name.
Mr O’Connell said: “He was pleased to hear that somebody was supporting the idea of a Gatwick expansion. He wouldn’t dream of commenting on the name change.”
Mr O’Connell acknowledged the name change could sound “silly”…says it all really, doesn’t it?!
By: skeeler - 2nd March 2013 at 21:57
Seeing as he’s the Councillor for Kenley Ward maybe he’d be better off suggesting that they reopen Kenley as another London Airport and call that Croydon International!
By: Tartan Pics - 2nd March 2013 at 21:07
oh dear! :confused:
By: Arabella-Cox - 2nd March 2013 at 14:52
Ryanair would love it. They can genuinely pretend that they are flying their passengers into Croydon since most of their city destinations….well….aren’t!
By: EGTC - 2nd March 2013 at 14:07
Just keep it as Gatwick. Everyone knows Gatwick.
By: Doors4 - 1st March 2013 at 22:50
London Croydon International sounds crap!
Not that sounding crap has stopped other airports introducing new names.
Surely Crawley would be a more appropriate title?
Or Horley.
By: Matt-100 - 28th February 2013 at 22:56
If they named it that, they’d have to drop the ‘London’ title.
London Croydon International sounds crap!
Also Gatwick isn’t anywhere near Croydon?! Surely Crawley would be a more appropriate title? And didn’t Croydon gain a name and reputation from the London riots?
By: MSR777 - 28th February 2013 at 22:47
Better than ‘Beckham International’ 😉
By: Cking - 28th February 2013 at 21:40
“Croydon” Nobody would ever call an airport that!
Rgds Cking
By: Mr Creosote - 28th February 2013 at 21:23
Not April 1st already?
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February 28, 2013 at 8:11 pm