Washington Dulles to Become Donald J. Trump Airport?

DALLAS — A group of Republican lawmakers proposes renaming Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) to honor former and potentially future U.S. President Donald Trump.

The bill, introduced by Republican House Representative Guy Reschenthaler on March 29, 2024, has been referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. April Fools' shenanigans? Pundits say the bill "to designate the Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia as the 'Donald J. Trump International Airport'" is unlikely to pass.

Originally, IAD was named after the influential former Secretary of State John Foster Dulles, who served under President Dwight D. Eisenhower from 1953 until his resignation in 1959. President John F. Kennedy dedicated the airport on November 17, 1962; in 1984, "Washington" was added to its name.

Washington National Airport (DCA) is already named after the previous Republican President, Ronald Reagan. As for Democrats, the Clintons are honored in the Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport (LIT) in Little Rock, Arkansas, where they originally built their political power base.

Eponyms: Naming Airports After People

Naming airports after notable individuals, known as eponyms, is a common and sometimes contentious tradition. This practice is not limited to any country or region, as evidenced by renaming Dubrovnik Airport in Croatia to Ruđer Bošković Airport (DBV) after the renowned polymath. Nationhood in the Balkans is tricky as maps have been redrawn numerous times. Serbian scholars allege that Bošković's father, Nikola, was a Serb and therefore "lay tenuous claim" to Ruđer.

Similarly, a dispute arose when Skopje Airport (SKP) in North Macedonia was renamed after Alexander the Great, a figure central to Greek heritage. In a jollier instance, Liverpool's Speke airport (LPL) was renamed after the city's famous son, John Lenon, proving to be a public relations success.

My favorite is Yeager Airport (CRW) in Charleston, West Virginia. formerly the Kanawha Airport, it was renamed in 1985 after the Air Force pilot and general who broke the speed of sound on October 14, 1947.

If you have not yet noticed, female representation in this practice is lacking. According to research by the travel firm Netflights, 95% of eponymous airports are named after men. Though largely unsuccessful, efforts have been made to rectify this, such as a campaign to rename Leeds Bradford Airport (LBA) after Amy Johnson, the first female pilot to fly solo from England to Australia.

The issue of female representation in eponymous airport names is part of a broader conversation about gender equality and recognition in public spaces. But what about race equality?

On June 17, 2023, James Herman Banning Ames Municipal Airport (AMW) in Ames, Iowa, underwent a significant change. It was renamed to honor James Herman Banning, becoming one of the eight airports in the U.S. named after a prominent Black American. Despite the existence of approximately 19,000 airports across the nation, only a tiny fraction of them bear the names of African Americans.

Political Factors in Renaming Airports

Over 350 eponymous airports worldwide, including Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International (ATL), are named after local politicians.

On December 24, 1963, Senator Ted Kennedy and Jean Kennedy Smith paid tribute to their late brother, President Kennedy, at a ceremony held at the old International Arrivals Building at New York International Airport. This event marked renaming the airport, also known as Idlewild Airport, to John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK).

The renaming of the main airport in Las Vegas, Nevada (LAS), from McCarran to Harry Reid, in December 2021 highlights the political nature of naming transportation hubs, particularly airports.

Senator Pat McCarran, a Democrat who represented Nevada from 1933 to 1954, and Harry Reid, also a Democrat who served as a senator from 1987 to 2017, have had their political affiliations play a role in the renaming decision.

Historians have criticized McCarran for his xenophobic and anti-Semitic policies, prompting calls from Nevada's political leaders to change the airport's name. This demonstrates that political considerations can outweigh the influence of death when naming such facilities.

Another example of a renaming that could be construed as politically motivated occurred in 2019 when Louisville International Airport in Kentucky became Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport (SDF). Muhammad Ali, known for his boxing achievements, also gained recognition for his activism and refusal to serve in the army during the Vietnam War.

However, this author (who grew up in Derby City) thinks that the Louisville airport was renamed after a globally recognizable figure to honor all his achievements: Muhammad Ali, the legendary boxer, three-time heavyweight champion, and, yes, political activist, achieved worldwide recognition throughout much of his 74-year life.