Parliament Workbench

Petition · PE01506 · Session 4

Rename Glasgow Prestwick Airport to 'Robert Burns International Airport'

Closed Submitted 20 Nov 2013 Culture & Sport
Signatures
0
258 online signatures with a country
Comments
31
Considered
3 meetings
in the Official Report

What it asks

Calling on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to rename Glasgow Prestwick International Airport to 'Robert Burns International Airport'.

What the petitioner did first

Several petitions have run online and via Social Media sites, e.g. Facebook. However, The Robert Burns World Federation feels that the time is right to make this official to present to Scottish Government. After speaking to our local MSP, we would like to take this forward.

Where it was considered

Official Report
  1. 1 Apr 2014
    Public Petitions Committee
    New Petitions
    1 mention
  2. 5 Aug 2014
    Public Petitions Committee
    Current Petitions
    1 mention
  3. 11 Nov 2014
    Public Petitions Committee
    Current Petitions
    1 mention

Signatures by country

258 online signatures
  1. Scotland189 73.3%
  2. United Kingdom30 11.6%
  3. Canada13 5%
  4. United States9 3.5%
  5. England3 1.2%
  6. Norway2 0.8%
  7. Not given2 0.8%
  8. Singapore1 0.4%
  9. New Zealand1 0.4%
  10. Afghanistan1 0.4%
  11. 7 other countries7 2.7%

Comments

31 comments, oldest first
  1. Derek Young 10 Jan 2014
    As someone with longstanding connections to Prestwick Airport, where my father worked for over two decades, I cannot support the aims of this petition. The idea of naming airports after historic figures lies somewhere between questionable and ridiculous, and this instance is no different. Doncaster and Sheffield airport's decision to use Robin Hood airport as their name causes both controversy and confusion, given Robin Hood's long association with Nottinghamshire (where there is another airport, East Midlands). The marketing value of such a rebranding is highly questionable, and the costs of changing signs (including road signs, at public expense) are real and avoidable. It aids public understanding for transport hubs to be named after places rather than people: it would be of little use for anyone who sees the name Robert Burns airport online but knows little about Scotland or Burns and would then have to look up where it was located. Indeed, they might choose not to bother. The airport was already renamed from Prestwick to Glasgow Prestwick, presumably because of Glasgow's greater name recognition, despite its considerable distance from Glasgow city centre. I hope the Committee refuses this wrong-headed petition.
  2. Andrena Ballantyne 12 Jan 2014
    Please note
    - "Robert" not "Rabbie"
  3. Andi McCann 13 Jan 2014
    Let's honour the national bard by renaming Prestwick Airport after him
  4. Linda Paterson 13 Jan 2014
    Glad 'pure dead brilliant ' is history. Robert Burns international airport is much more suitable and certainly more dignified!
  5. Jean Macmillan-Forster 14 Jan 2014
    Prestwick Airport should be renamed after our National Bard. A well deserved tribute.
  6. Jean Hillhouse 14 Jan 2014
    If there is anything I can do to help, it would be a pleasure.
  7. Reg Tait 14 Jan 2014
    Scotland should advertise the diversity of the country as well as paying tribute to a famous son that will attract people from all over the world. The present system of branding Prestwick as being contained in Glasgow is disasterous for bor Prestwick, Ayrshire and Scotland as a whole and just gives an image of sameness within Scotland. Please rename to Robert Burns International Airport at least for an extended trial period.
  8. Rachel simonds 14 Jan 2014
    We are no just an extension of glasgow and have a great deal to offer in Burns Country. It is madness not to make the most of our poet who is famous world wide.
  9. Jamie Simpson 15 Jan 2014
    I believe that we should display our national pride even without a referendum, and dedicating one of our most popular airports to our most famous poet would be a great way to display our pride to the rest of the international community
  10. Mairi Rodgers 17 Jan 2014
    I like the sound of that....Robert Burns International Airport ...hope it happens.. Mairi x
  11. Connie Henderson 17 Jan 2014
    I have flown in and out of this airport many times and felt safe and comfortable. Although living in Canada now, I am still very proud of my heritage and background and feel the airport should be given a name of pride of the local vicinity.
  12. Derek Hanlon 18 Jan 2014
    I support the proposal to have Glasgow Prestwick renamed "Robert Burns International Airport". I find it astonishing that it had not been done before and am glad that the error of "pure dead brilliant" has been corrected. Robert Burns is Scotland's single most important historic figure representing Scottish culture.
  13. James Macfarlane 18 Jan 2014
    No, you need the name of the place in the name of the airport, or people won't know where it is. Maybe 'Glasgow Robert Burns Airport'?
  14. Gus Robb 18 Jan 2014
    Scots Wha Hae...now its time to recognise a true ledgend.
  15. Geoff Crolley 21 Jan 2014
    The Ayrshire airport is owned by the Scottish Government please let the Ayrshire and Scottish people have a say on her name.
  16. richard mcskimmings 22 Jan 2014
    this will be a good thing .Robert burns nothing better
  17. michael 23 Jan 2014
    not a bad idea
  18. ruth rothwell 24 Jan 2014
    he is a historical son of scotland and should be treated as one people around ta world admire and love robert burns and what fitting place is ta pay tribute to ta great man as a traveller to land in an airport name after ta great one and on his home soil
  19. Sherry Byrd 24 Jan 2014
    What could be more appropriate than to honor the bard with naming an international airport after him since he is known and loved worldwide, and near his own hometown!
  20. El 25 Jan 2014
    Should be called the Robert Burn International Airport,
  21. morrison young 25 Jan 2014
    Thank You for your signature suggest I have signed this, but nothing I have done is consistent with this. I intended to sign certianly,but ambiguity rules the day here.I shall find out if I have signed this in certainty when this appears is my opinion..Maybe I am just different, but if I have doubts Im convinced so do others.
  22. Ben Power 27 Jan 2014
    A fantastic ides to name our only all weather international airport after our most memorable international Scot whose works so change the world continually.
  23. Bill Fleming 27 Jan 2014
    Robert Burns International Airport. Wonderful ring to that.
  24. A.J.Morton 27 Jan 2014
    As a friend of the Federation and a co-founder of a "Rename Prestwick" Facebook page of over 7000 followers (the largest on the net!), I happily sign and endorse this petition.
  25. james russell anderson 28 Jan 2014
    a wonderful idea
  26. Charles H. Cameron CD 28 Jan 2014
    As a friend of the Federation and a Vice President of the Robert Burn's Club of Winnipeg, Manitoba, I happily sign and endorse this petition.
  27. Chris Simm 2 Feb 2014
    As a business woman who has on several occasions gone up to Glasgow Airport to pick people up only to find that they were at Prestwick. I think that this is long overdue and an excellent choice of name.
  28. Louise McCarron 5 Feb 2014
    Great idea
    - an obvious choice. Good luck.
  29. Anonymous Scot 5 Feb 2014
    As much as I credit Robert Burns as a poet. I can't sign this as I think any airport with "Burns" (the word, not the name necessarily) associated with it just plain stupid. Just think of the poor newspaper puns they'd come out with if there was ever an accident at Burns Airport.
  30. Robert Dennis 10 Feb 2014
    Soar Alba
  31. Geoff 18 Feb 2014
    Not a warrior or a politician. Definitely not a saint but a man, a farmer, an excise man, a passionate and compassionate man. Our national bard, born less than 10 miles from the Robert Burns International, Prestwick Airport. Put him on the international map!!