Rhode Island’s T.F. Green Airport Gets a New Name

It's been a time of name changes for the state of Rhode Island. First it was dropping “Providence Plantations” from the official state name, and now the state’s airport is getting a name change as well.

“New name, same great way to fly!” wrote the newly-named Rhode Island T.F. Green International Airport on Twitter. The airport tweeted the announcement this week, saying the name change is “positioning us to better support Rhode Island’s economy and tourism sector.”

“The airport is an economic engine for Warwick and Rhode Island and this opportunity to raise the airport’s brand awareness could attract even more domestic and international travelers to the Ocean State," said Rhode Island Senate Majority Leader Michael McCaffrey.

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The airport was named after Rhode Island governor and U.S. Senator Theodore Francis Green in 1938, and airport executives still wished to continue to honor his memory. The hope is that this name change will create more consumer awareness of the airport’s location.

Personally, I’m on board for this. I cringe every time the plane lands and the captain announces, “Welcome to Providence!” when we are about 10 miles south of the city. Hopefully this name change, along with consumer awareness, will allow the city of Warwick to get some credit for being the location of the airport for the past 83 years.

More importantly, the RI T.F. Green International Airport is one of the fastest growing airports in the country, and a slight name change could mean big financial gain for the state through brand awareness.