Friday marked the start of a new era for central Pennsylvania’s primary commercial service airport.
Airport, business and government officials gathered on a sunny and breezy afternoon to unveil the new sign for the State College Regional Airport as the facility officially changed its name from the University Park Airport moniker it has had since opening in 1978.
The change, which has been under discussion for years, is intended to eliminate confusion among travelers, but also help create a stronger regional identity to promote economic development and visitations.
Penn State owns the airport, and when it was being developed it was seen as a natural extension of the University Park campus, said Chris Groshel, chair of the Centre County Airport Authority, which operates the terminal and parking. But passenger tickets and other airports typically list the destination as “State College” and the airline industry code “SCE” has been in use dating back to the current airport’s predecessors, the State College Air Depot and Mid-State Airport. For much of the traveling public, the destination has always simply been “State College Airport.”
“So what you see today is a culmination of effort made by so many local entities resulting in a new name that associates this facility with our entire region, rather than just limiting it to the university,” Groshel said. “This should make traveling a bit easier for some by reducing identity confusion, and also help recognize that this is a first-class airport that serves central Pennsylvania, and that’s what central Pennsylvania deserves.”
The new name also improves marketability and branding, identifying it as serving the broader region and positioning it as a central hub to attract new routes, according to Greg Scott, president and CEO of the Chamber of Business & Industry of Centre County.
“This more recognizable name will open the doors to create a strong regional identity while making travelers more aware of State College and its surrounding areas,” Scott said. “Additionally the rebranding will help to draw attention of our investors and developers looking for strategic locations, leading to potential infrastructure developments and increase property values in our surrounding areas. It signals to businesses and investors that the region is forward-thinking and open for development, encouraging investments in local projects and initiatives.”
Bryan Rodgers, airport director, noted that the name isn’t the only thing that’s new at the airport, which has been undergoing a series of improvements, largely funded by the Federal Aviation Administration and Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, since 2020. Those include airside projects such as the addition of a runway visual range system, new air traffic control equipment and ongoing taxiway rehabilitation, which, among other things, allows for larger aircraft. Airlines now have jets with first-class cabins flying in and out of State College.
“The new name will also improve marketing, assist in attracting travelers and tourists and identify the airport as the regional airport for central Pennsylvania,” Rodgers said.
Planning is also underway for the addition of passenger boarding bridges.
Flights that were canceled amid pandemic slowdowns have been reinstated, Groshel said, and airport officials are having ongoing discussions with airlines about new connecting nonstop service.
“No doubt there are difficulties today in the air transport system, from crew and plane shortages to constantly changing schedules to increased costs,” Groshel said. “But lately we feel we may be turning a corner…”
A robust airport is important to the local tourism and hospitality industry, which has been on a strong rebound of its own, said Fritz Smith, chairman and CEO of the Happy Valley Adventure Bureau.
More routes would mean more visitors, and, Smith said, the county’s official tourism promotion agency can also support the effort to expand service by attracting more events like the Ironman 70.3 Pennsylvania Happy Valley, which brought in participants from 43 states and 10 countries.
“The ease of travel here is important as we try to attract more events like that,” Smith said. “We’re very enthused about this effort and are predicting great success for the airport moving forward.”
State Rep. Paul Takac, D-College Township, who serves on the state House Tourism and Economic and Recreational Development Committee, said the State College Regional Airport serves as a gateway not only to Penn State, the Centre Region and Centre County, but also the Pennsylvania Wilds and all of central Pennsylvania for travelers from around the world.
“As someone who represents this area in Harrisburg, I have no greater privilege than to be able to try to bring folks here and this is absolutely going to help us do that.,” Takac said.
The airport’s three-letter FAA location identifier of UNV used by air traffic control will remain unchanged.
