Oklahoma City’s largest airport is getting a name change as it continues to see record-setting embarkments and prepares to add international flight connections .
The name change, awaiting final approval Tuesday by the Oklahoma City Council, changes the airport from Will Rogers World Airport, a name established in the 1960s, to OKC Will Rogers International Airport.
In a recent presentation to the Oklahoma City Airport Trust, general manager Jeff Mulder said the new branding was chosen after several months of public surveys and conversations with local and out-of-state travelers.
“We were looking at this from how we market ourselves outside of Oklahoma City,” Mulder said. “Everybody outside of Oklahoma City knows what Will Rogers World Airport is, but outside of Oklahoma City, there wasn’t a lot of recognition of that, so we wanted to incorporate the name of Oklahoma City.”
The name and branding change coincided with the airport trust updating its website and construction of a Federal Inspection Station at the airport that will be staffed by Customs and Border Protection. Airport officials previously discussed looking at southbound destinations as airlines add more connections to Mexico. Oklahoma City is home to Guatemalan and Mexican consulates.
The airport finished expanding its terminal in 2021, which included a gate and boarding bridge to accommodate international flights. The latest phase of construction includes space on the lower level of the terminal where international passengers are to be cleared for entry into the United States.
Mulder said the rebranding effort included survey responses from more than 6,000 people.
“The logo we have today is Will Rogers with a rope around the world,” Mulder said. “It's a great logo. But from the feedback we received, it projects a cowboy image.”
Instead of portraying Oklahoma City as a cowboy town, consultants looked at the connection between Will Rogers and aviation. Mulder said the new logo includes a stylized “K” with a curvature inspired by the swoops on the airplane flown by Rogers and aviator Wiley Post.
The new branding also will update the colors to align with the palette used in Matt Goad’s terrazzo murals in the east terminal expansion area as well as the stone, wood and tile used in the décor of rebuilt airport terminal. Branding will also incorporate the state bird, the Scissortail Flycatcher.
Pending city council approval, Mulder said the new name and logo will be rolled out to coincide with the airport website update.
Barbara Peck and Matt Hinkle, council members sitting on the airport trust board, the change was bittersweet when it came to doing away with the word “world.” Mulder said the change reflects the preference for the word “international” at other airports.
“I'm sad about the ‘world’ going away, but if it brings international travel here, it’s a win,” Hinkle said. “Coming from a graphics background, I think it’s very bold and readable.”
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OKC Council being asked to approve name change, rebranding for Will Rogers World Airport
Most Popular
Comments / 0