Omaha International Airport

Will · Post by **Will** » Thu Mar 30, 2006 10:19 am

Ben Nelson wants to make Eppley an Internatinal Airport http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_pg=46&u_sid=2142204

MTO · Post by **MTO** » Thu Mar 30, 2006 10:32 am

Ooooooooo boy here we go again. BTW I thought it already is one.

adam186 · Post by **adam186** » Thu Mar 30, 2006 11:30 am

Hey, that's cool! A lot of people on this however like the Airfield part instead of Airport. Oh well, I hope it does go international. I wonder this will affect the numbers in ridership. Haven't read the article yet, but if we get a lot of tax money for going international, we could expand and remodel the terminal.

MTO · Post by **MTO** » Thu Mar 30, 2006 11:32 am

I wonder if the goal is to hit that 4.5/year mark and do the entire expansion with the International capabilities all in one build.

StreetsOfOmaha · Post by **StreetsOfOmaha** » Thu Mar 30, 2006 11:54 am

Definitely good news. Way to go, Nelson.

jsheets · Post by **jsheets** » Thu Mar 30, 2006 12:45 pm

From the article:

Even if Eppley built an inspection station, obtaining landing rights for international flights is doubtful.

In a letter last year to Smithey, Anne Lombardi, a director of field operations for U.S. Customs and Border Protection, wrote: "Our current position is that, even if you do choose to build an FIS (federal inspection station) and a commercial airline does request landing rights for international clearance, we will not approve landing rights at Eppley Field."

The decision, her letter continued, was based on budget constraints, staff availability, existing regulations and the best interests of the government.

So don't get your hopes up yet. This is a good idea, but will definitely take time. And I don't think we need a name change. Rochester International Airport doesn't make me think that Rochester is any bigger than it is. Same for Des Moines.

MTO · Post by **MTO** » Thu Mar 30, 2006 12:47 pm

I think it would be cool if one of the mega airports took international off and had a very quaint name.

DTO Luv · Post by **DTO Luv** » Thu Mar 30, 2006 12:49 pm

Whether the status of the airport changes or not, I think Eppley Airfield sounds stupid. You'd half expect to see Orville and Wilbur greet you at the gate.

MTO · Post by **MTO** » Thu Mar 30, 2006 12:54 pm

Well what do you want then Qwest Airport?

adam186 · Post by **adam186** » Thu Mar 30, 2006 1:42 pm

MTO wrote:Well what do you want then Qwest Airport?

No, Epply Airport. Or even cut airport out and call it Epply.

DTO Luv · Post by **DTO Luv** » Thu Mar 30, 2006 1:52 pm

Qwest Field sounds nice.

Big E · Post by **Big E** » Thu Mar 30, 2006 2:43 pm

eOmaha.com should consider sponsoring it!

-Big E

adam186 · Post by **adam186** » Thu Mar 30, 2006 3:01 pm

^If we sponsor enough money, maybe we could get a plaque or even a food court named after us.

Post by **Omaha Cowboy** » Thu Mar 30, 2006 3:02 pm

Big E wrote:eOmaha.com should consider sponsoring it!

-Big E

Yeah..Sure

..

From the W-H piece:

'Frontier and Northwest Airlines last year considered adding flights from Omaha to various cities in Mexico. Northwest withdrew its application to the Transportation Department because U.S. Customs wouldn't approve the processing of passengers without a complete Federal Inspection Station at Eppley.

Demand for flights to Mexico is growing, said Frontier Airlines spokesman Andrew Hudson. The airline would apply to establish flights from Omaha to Mexico if Eppley had the customs facilities, Hudson said.

Eppley officials would like to add a processing center, at the airport's expense, but they are waiting for a rewrite of government regulations for such operations, Smithey said. Without the regulations, the authority doesn't know what to build or what it would cost.'..

The prospects for this don't look promising. But at least it's being worked on as a possibility for Omaha..Which is all we can ask for at this point..

..Ciao..LiO....Peace

StreetsOfOmaha · Post by **StreetsOfOmaha** » Thu Mar 30, 2006 4:21 pm

I don't understand anyone who doesn't favor a name change. Eppley Airfield sounds small. Plain and simple.

Omaha is a big city. Big cities have international airports. That's how it works.

Omaha Eppley International

OmahaBen · Post by **OmahaBen** » Thu Mar 30, 2006 4:47 pm

StreetsOfOmaha wrote:I don't understand anyone who doesn't favor a name change. Eppley Airfield sounds small. Plain and simple.

Because no one cares about the name of the airport. Do you seriously think that someone thinks less of Omaha because of the name of its airport? As the old saying goes, "if it isn't broke, don't fix it" - why bother spending the time, effort, and money changing the name of an airport.

And at least Omaha's Eppley Airfield is unique, unlike the generic ______ Int'l Airport.

But then, I suppose you think it should be "Wrigley Stadium," because Wrigley Field sounds too small.

StreetsOfOmaha · Post by **StreetsOfOmaha** » Thu Mar 30, 2006 4:55 pm

OmahaBen wrote:Do you seriously think that someone thinks less of Omaha because of the name of its airport?

Haha! Isn't it obvious?

And if nobody really cares, then why not change it, and make the name more of a reflection of what it REALLY IS.

Calling it an airfield would be fine and dandy if that's what it was. I just don't like calling an apple an orange, especially if it's not only inaccurate, but damaging to outsiders' perceptions of Omaha.

MTO · Post by **MTO** » Thu Mar 30, 2006 5:29 pm

Big E wrote:eOmaha.com should consider sponsoring it!

-Big E

Are you kidding Jeff’s tighter than two coats of paint, good luck.

adam186 · Post by **adam186** » Thu Mar 30, 2006 5:33 pm

StreetsOfOmaha wrote:I don't understand anyone who doesn't favor a name change. Eppley Airfield sounds small. Plain and simple.

Omaha is a big city. Big cities have international airports. That's how it works.

Omaha Eppley International

I couldn't have said it better!

MTO, what are cotes? Did you mean coats?

eomaha · Post by **eomaha** » Thu Mar 30, 2006 8:02 pm

Count me among those who like our unique 'airfield' name. As we well know, the international moniker doesn't make it an international airport anyway. Heck, if we have to change it... let's make it the Eppley International Aerodrome .

Bob from Omaha · Post by **Bob from Omaha** » Thu Mar 30, 2006 8:51 pm

Omaha Univeral Hippodrome

omaja · Post by **omaja** » Thu Mar 30, 2006 9:38 pm

The international addendum is really diluted, especially here in the states. Just look at Gary/Chicago International Airport... an airport which is almost nothing more than an actual airfield. Let's get true international service to either Mexico or Canada before going to the opposite extreme of calling Eppley "international" when it would only be pretending.

And why should airfield or airport really matter that much either? Flights are usually listed only by city... or in the case of multiple airports in the city, city-airport (ala Chicago O'Hare), and airports are never referred to by their formal names. BWI is much more common than Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, for instance. Changing Eppley to Omaha Eppley International Airport might look sophisticated on a piece of paper, but it wouldn't change a whole lot in the way of national projection. I wouldn't be against a renaming it to something like "Omaha Eppley Airport", but the impact of it or anything similar would be rather minimal.

adam186 · Post by **adam186** » Thu Mar 30, 2006 9:46 pm

I'm sorry I brought up the name thing. Can we focus on the IMPACT of Eppley actually becoming int'l. The naming may be minimal, but becoming an int'l airport is noteworthy. Where is the nearest int'l airport?

Post by **Omaha Cowboy** » Thu Mar 30, 2006 11:11 pm

Honestly..

I'm more interested in Omaha's airport actually achieving some international flight destinations one day..

..Ciao..LiO....Peace

eomaha · Post by **eomaha** » Thu Mar 30, 2006 11:25 pm

Precisely. And towards that end, Nelson's proposal is a good one. Not because it ensures that we'll be called 'international', but because it will put in place the means to allow Eppley to actually handle international flights. And whatever you call it, Eppley won't be an international airport until those reguarly scheduled flights to Cancun are a reality.

StreetsOfOmaha · Post by **StreetsOfOmaha** » Thu Mar 30, 2006 11:35 pm

It handles international cargo, as the article said. Aparently that's enough to be an international airport...ask Des Moines.

I'm all for the international flights (of course), and would be in favor of the more truthful "Omaha Eppley Airport" until we get the international passenger flights.

TitosBuritoBarn · Post by **TitosBuritoBarn** » Fri Mar 31, 2006 1:13 am

How about renaming it with the "sky harbor" tag like Phoenix. That's pretty unique sounding, eh? Omaha Sky Harbor International Airport. Mmmm....classy.

flyOMA · Post by **flyOMA** » Fri Mar 31, 2006 3:10 am

I think 'Eppley Airfield' is just fine...Changing the name to xxxxxx International Airport would be generic and would serve no purpose. We don't need to validate the airport by changing the title. I think some of you are letting an inferiority complex get you riled up. ;)

Do you honestly think that cities like Bismarck, Great Falls, Des Moines, Fargo, Billings, etc...have gained some sort of credibility within the travelling public just because of their designated and bogus 'international' title? Is somebody going to choose to fly out of Des Moines instead of Omaha because of a title? No, they choose Omaha because we have twice as many airlines, more flights, and lower fares.

I am not totally against adding an international title, just against how some of these airports have falsified their titles. Des Moines International Airport? Who are they trying to kid...They requested the title when UPS started a 2nd Day Air hub there, but have never had a scheduled international flight (cargo or passenger).

Regardless, we NEED a customs facility here. We have missed out on new service possibilities within the past 2 years because of it. Frontier was all set to fly from here to Puerto Vallarta with A319s and Northwest to Cancun with A320s. It was a done deal. Hopefully the interest will still be there once we get through the red tape...

OmahaBen · Post by **OmahaBen** » Fri Mar 31, 2006 10:55 am

StreetsOfOmaha wrote:
OmahaBen wrote:Do you seriously think that someone thinks less of Omaha because of the name of its airport?
And if nobody really cares, then why not change it, and make the name more of a reflection of what it REALLY IS.

Because, as I said in my first post, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

We've got more important ways to spend our tax dollars than renaming an airport.

StreetsOfOmaha · Post by **StreetsOfOmaha** » Fri Mar 31, 2006 1:02 pm

It IS broken. And what tax dollars are you thinking it would cost to change the name?

People, people. Let me put it this way. It's not an inferiority complex, and really (in complete honsety) I don't care either way. But calling Omaha's airport an "airfield" annoys me just like it would annoy me when someone thinks Omaha is flat, or when they refer to Omaha as if it were a small town. It's all inaccurate.

Since we're in Nebraska and all, why don't we invent a new word for "skyscraper"? Say....Cornscraper? And now we'll refer to the First National Center, Woodmen Tower, NE Capital, etc. as CORNSCRAPERS...because it's....UNIQUE.

Ridiculous.

MTO · Post by **MTO** » Fri Mar 31, 2006 1:46 pm

MTV just called and wants us to change air to corn.

Finn · Post by **Finn** » Fri Mar 31, 2006 2:57 pm

If you like to call ot what it IS, then why does Omaha, Nebraska bother you so much - that's what it IS!

I don't think Reagan National Airport is missing out on a steady flow of travelers because it isn't international. Leave it alone, bigger issues to deal with.

(Good example with Wrigley Field, OmahaBen!)

ModestMouse · Post by **ModestMouse** » Sat Apr 01, 2006 9:29 am

As Jeff Gordon would say.

"THANK YOU WRIGLEY STADIUM!"

Post by **Omaha Cowboy** » Sat Apr 01, 2006 10:54 am

flyOMA wrote:I think 'Eppley Airfield' is just fine...Changing the name to xxxxxx International Airport would be generic and would serve no purpose. We don't need to validate the airport by changing the title. I think some of you are letting an inferiority complex get you riled up. ;)

Do you honestly think that cities like Bismarck, Great Falls, Des Moines, Fargo, Billings, etc...have gained some sort of credibility within the travelling public just because of their designated and bogus 'international' title? Is somebody going to choose to fly out of Des Moines instead of Omaha because of a title? No, they choose Omaha because we have twice as many airlines, more flights, and lower fares.

I am not totally against adding an international title, just against how some of these airports have falsified their titles. Des Moines International Airport? Who are they trying to kid...They requested the title when UPS started a 2nd Day Air hub there, but have never had a scheduled international flight (cargo or passenger).

Regardless, we NEED a customs facility here. We have missed out on new service possibilities within the past 2 years because of it. Frontier was all set to fly from here to Puerto Vallarta with A319s and Northwest to Cancun with A320s. It was a done deal. Hopefully the interest will still be there once we get through the red tape...

The resident expert chimes in..

Good stuff (as always) flyOMA

..

..Ciao..LiO....Peace

Bomaha · Post by **Bomaha** » Sat Apr 01, 2006 10:56 am

Could you imagine if Omaha the hub for alot of Mexico flights?

It would be crazy! We'd have people from all over the country coming through to go on vacation. I can just see it now

Uffda · Post by **Uffda** » Sat Apr 01, 2006 11:02 am

So could this designation help Eppley create a Foreign-Trade Zone?

Post by **Omaha Cowboy** » Sat Apr 01, 2006 11:10 am

Uffda wrote:So could this designation help Eppley create a Foreign-Trade Zone?

Seriously, I don't think so..

The main goal of Eppley (and really the main goal of every airport of substance) is to move people in, out and through the airport terminal(s) quickly, safely and efficiently..

Nothing more..Nothing less..

..Ciao..LiO....Peace

adam186 · Post by **adam186** » Sat Apr 01, 2006 12:28 pm

If Eppley can cut the red tape fast enough, maybe we could have direct flights to Cancun for next spring break.