Airport changes name to attract carriers

Tallahassee and Leon County officials have been trying for decades to get more traffic into our airport, believing that increased competition will mean lower fares and better choices for travelers. So far, nothing has worked. When he was mayor, Commissioner Scott Maddox eagerly courted Southwest Airlines, promising “cheeks in the seats” if the low-cost carrier took a flier on Tallahassee. He scored a near miss; Southwest now goes into Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport, over near Panama City.

Then there was AirTran, which came to town for a couple of years and took the local government subsidy — and flew away as soon as that ran out.

The latest idea is to change the airport’s official name. It’s no longer Tallahassee Regional Airport, but Tallahassee International Airport.

It’s got everything our neighbors to the west have — runways, terminals, baggage carousels, art, a cool looking tower with blinking lights.

But, like Panama City, it’s “international” in name only.