Republicans in the United States House of Representatives have introduced a bill that would rename Dulles International Airport to Donald J. Trump International Airport.
Renaming Dulles
Naming United States airports after presidents is not uncommon. One of the most famous airports in the US is in New York City, John F. Kennedy International Airport. In Houston, there is George Bush Intercontinental Airport, and in Washington D.C., Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
Photo: Jonathan E. Hendry | Simple Flying
Last week, members of the House of Representatives introduced a bill that would rename Dulles International Airport to Donald J. Trump International Airport, honoring the 45th president of the US. The likelihood of the change receiving approval with this current Senate is unlikely, as the Democratic party has a majority there. Even in the House, Republicans may not have widespread support from their own party. Even if approved on both sides, the bill would need presidential approval from Joe Biden, the current president, a Democrat.
The bill was introduced by Rep. Guy Reschenthaler, R-Pa., the House GOP’s chief deputy whip, and six cosponsors. Reschenthaler told Fox News Digital,
“In my lifetime, our nation has never been greater than under the leadership of President Donald J. Trump. As millions of domestic and international travelers fly through the airport, there is no better symbol of freedom, prosperity and strength than hearing ‘Welcome to Trump International Airport’ as they land on American soil.”
As mentioned above, there is already an airport in Washington named after a republican president, Ronald Reagan. If this bill is approved, both airports would be named after Republican presidents. This should come as no surprise to anyone with any political knowledge but there are several members of the opposing party, the Democratic party, that have spoken out against the bill. One already said that if anything should be named after President Trump, it should be a federal prison.
A brief history
Dulles opened after World War II, and the site where the airport is now located was chosen by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1958. The plan was for the new airport to become the first in the nation to receive commercial jets. Plans were formed so that only 3,000 of the 10,000 acres purchased would be used for airport construction and that there would be boundaries at least 8,000 feet from the ends of the runways.
Building began on September 2, 1958 and the famous main building at Dulles was opened in 1962. Another iconic part of Dulles are the mobile lounges, which were introduced when the airport first opened. The mobile lounges are 54-foot long, 16-foot wide, 17 1/2-foot high vehicles, capable of carrying 102 passengers, 71 of them seated, and are still used to this day to connect several of the concourses.
President John F. Kennedy dedicated the airport on November 17, 1962. It was named after Secretary of State John Foster Dulles who served under President Eisenhower, who was present at the airport’s dedication. The first commercial aircraft to land at the new airport was an Eastern Airlines Super Electra.
