Here’s why University Park Airport has just been renamed State College Regional Airport
University Park Airport has been renamed State College Regional Airport, Penn State and the Centre County Airport Authority announced Wednesday, ushering in a new era aimed at reducing confusion among flyers.
The airport tried to brand itself as the University Park Airport for years, but the name never caught on. Whether among locals or those visiting Happy Valley for the first time, it was colloquially referred to as the State College airport.
The airline city code that is printed on boarding passes and luggage tags has been “SCE” since commercial air service began at the airport, dating back to 1978. Behind the scenes, pilots and air traffic controllers use the Federal Aviation Administration-recognized “UNV.”
“The renaming of our airport started a long time ago with the public rebranding us the State College Airport,” Centre County Airport Authority Executive Director James Meyer said in a statement. “By officially renaming the airport, we are eliminating confusion for our passengers.”
The university and airport authority believe the name change will also better reflect the airport’s service area, the investment in the economic development of the county and the available transportation options.
Penn State — which owns the airport and is responsible for its administration, planning, development, operation, maintenance and security — expects to spend less than $20,000 for minor signage and logo changes, university spokeswoman Lisa Powers wrote in an email. The expenses will be paid by airport revenues, she wrote.
The airport authority — which oversees commercial airline operations and parking — is responsible for paying for major signage changes. The authority deferred comment Wednesday.
“This process has been a true collaboration between Penn State and the Airport Authority,” CCAA Chairman Chris Groshel 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.”
The airport offers daily flights to Philadelphia, Chicago and Newark, New Jersey. New destinations are “continuously being sought,” the university and airport authority wrote.
The airport supports about 1,750 jobs and carried a payroll of nearly $86 million last year, an economic impact study found.
State College’s nearly 112,500 enplanements — the number of people actually in seats on planes — last year was down more than 8% from 2021, FAA data showed.
“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’s senior vice president for finance and business and university treasurer, said in a statement.
This story was originally published November 1, 2023 at 2:27 PM.