Airport Burns name change petition attracts worldwide support
29 Jan 2010The petition says: "The 250th anniversary of Robert Burns' birth seemed the perfect time to change the name of "Prestwick Glasgow International Airport" in Scotland to "The Robert Burns International Airport".
"The airport's position should be known internationally, as it is situated near Robert Burns' birth place, in what is known as Burns Country; in the south west of Scotland."
Supporters from all over the world have been adding their names to the petition - and you can join the campaign here too.
It's already a big year for Prestwick Airport, with the opening of the new air traffic control centre, and the upcoming anniversary of the only visit of Elvis Presley to the UK on Wednesday 3rd March.
30 Jan 2010 | 9:56:46
Grant Gilhespie says
First of all I would like to say that I am a great fan of Burns and have always been, encouraged greatly by my father from a very early age, but I think that the name change is not a very good idea. I have travelled the world for most of my life and have stayed in a lot of other countries. The sad truth is, despite our national fondness for the Bard, and his obvious talent and humanity, most of the world have never even heard of him and have no idea who or what he was. If we rename the airport it will never be picked up in any search with Glasgow in it, and we will therefore lose out on incoming traffic and trade. This is another idea which ranks right up there, along with "pure dead brilliant" in leading our little gem of an airport down a blind alley. We need someone who can look outwards rather than inwards to expand our market in this inceasingly tough world. I think that a score of only 350 names on a worldwide petition shows what a damp squib of an idea this name change is. We need to send the people who thought this up "homewards to think again"