Move to Change the name of Canberra Airport

[Kieran Wells]

10 year old girl has created a petition to have Canberra airport renamed after David Warren, creator of the black box..

http://www.news.com.au/travel/campaign-to-honour-aussie-black-box-inventor/story-e6frfq7r-1226522228613

[greg willy]

Great idea for a brilliant Australian...but isn't the airfield an RAAF facility in real terms and known as RAAF Fairbairn?
Named after a former aviation minister James Fairbairn who was killed in a plane crash near the airport in around 1940. I know the base was sold and then leased back by Canberra International airport corporation....and I think No 34 Squadron was or is based there.
Warren airport sounds good though.

[David C]

Good points Greg. While it seems a good idea , we must remember and give continued honour to the late James Fairbairn . Any name change could be seen as a snub to the former . Also , Warren Airport surely couldn't be used as there is a town of Warren in NSW . Just a few thoughts ..

Dave C

[Ash W]

Nope it isn't RAAF Fairbairn and hasn't been for years, it is now Defence Establishment Fairbair and that only refers to the side occupied by Defence on the old RAAF base side. No reason why the civil aviation side couldn't be named something different without snubbing the past.

[Mark Grima]

Great idea! I've signed.

Cheers

M

[James S.]

I have three oppositions to this;

1) There's already an A380 named after him. (But that's not to say that he doesn't deserve an airport named after him and that Sydney is also CKS as is -OQF)
2) As mentioned above, what about James Fairbairn? Maybe just call it Canberra Fairbairn Airport (Not RAAF Base) Also connected to the point below;
3) Why Canberra Airport? What was his relationship to Canberra in any way? If anything, renaming Darwin Airport (He was born in NT) would be more appropriate.

[Mark Grima]

The thing that impresses me most about this, is that the proposal has come from a 10 year old girl that has the maturity at such a young age to consider that an entire industries history has been shaped by an academic and he should be acknowledged for that. Of course QF has done that through naming an A380 after him.

Defence Establishment Fairbairn is home to RAAFs 34 Squadron witch obviously provides VIP transport for dignitaries. It is located on the opposite side of the airfield, with civilian operations out of the terminals, opposite. Canberra Airport has been privately owned since the late 1990's. Hence the military and civilian operations have been separate for some time. The young lass is suggesting that Canberra Airport become "David Warren Airport" (or similar). Her petition states that she feels it is highly important for Australians to know who Mr Warren is and what he achieved, as many do with sports stars and the like.

She also states that she feels as though Mr Warrens name should be leant to our national capitals airport, even though by Australian standards it is a relatively small, regional port.


Cheers

M