Brief by Allen Best
Nomenclature – June 2008 – Colorado Central Magazine
Vail’s Airport may get a major name change
So much depends upon what you call it. “It,” in this case, is the airport located in the town of Gypsum, 37 miles west of Vail.
“It” was formally proclaimed the Eagle County Regional Airport in the late 1980s, when it was expanded to accommodate major jets, which now routinely deliver passengers for Vail, Beaver Creek and, to a lesser extent, Aspen and Snowmass -but also to the oil and gas industry that is now feverishly at work to the west.
“It” is also called the Vail-Eagle airport by some, or sometimes even Vail’s airport.
But consultants who have been paid $90,000 to create a “brand” suggest something altogether new: Colorado International Airport.
The chief executive of the firm, Jim Adler, said both Vail and Eagle are too limiting. The name Eagle doesn’t mean much beyond Colorado. Much more broadly known is the name Vail, but it is limiting in that the airport serves many other resorts.
Genesis came up with Colorado International Airport because of how “Colorado” evokes images of mountain beauty and outdoor lifestyles. There is also the potential for the airport to cater to international flights, with customs officials located at the airport.
The recommendation is not a slam-dunk. Vail, the town, demands that the airport be named Vail. Importantly, so do some of the county commissioners. “The Vail name has huge power and cachet,” said Peter Runyon, a commissioner.
Still at issue is whether the airport deserves to be called international.
Vail Resorts is working to expand its lucrative business among international travelers who are finding the United States much more affordable than it used to be, but Vail does not officially control the airport. Unofficially it does, however — by arranging for most of the commercial flights.
Regarding the controversy about whether an airport in Gypsum could be called Vail, a local wag suggested a composite: Vail International and Gypsum Regional Airport. If you consider the acronym for that, you’ll understand the proposed motto: It’s an up and coming facility.
