A long-discussed name change for University Park Airport is now a reality.
The airport has been officially renamed State College Regional Airport in a move designed primarily to alleviate confusion among travelers, according to a news release on Wednesday from Penn State, which owns the airport, and the Centre County Airport Authority (CCAA), which operates the terminal and parking.
“The renaming of our airport started a long time ago with the public rebranding us the State College Airport,” James Meyer, executive director of CCAA, said in a statement. “By officially renaming the airport, we are eliminating confusion for our passengers.”
Passenger tickets and other airports typically list the destination as “State College” and the airline industry code “SCE” has been used for boarding passes and tags since the airport commercial service in 1978.
The name change also “better reflects the service area, the continuing investment in the economic development of Centre County and beyond, and the broad array of transportation options available at the location,” according to a news release.
“With a new name, the State College Regional Airport will continue to provide outstanding service to travelers locally and throughout central Pennsylvania,” Sara Thorndike, Penn State senior vice president for finance and business, said in a statement.
CCAA has discussed the name change for years. Meyer said in 2021 that the airport had long tried to strengthen the University Park Airport brand but that “it just hasn’t caught on,” with the general public branding it the State College Airport.
“This process has been a true collaboration between Penn State and the Airport Authority,” Chris Groshel, CCAA board chair, said in a statement. “Our goal has always been to build and promote the airport as a convenient transportation hub to serve central Pennsylvania. The State College Regional Airport name will facilitate travel for the many thousands of travelers who pass through our terminal annually.”
New signage at the airport is expected to be unveiled later this week.
