It’s official: Welcome to R.I. T.F. Green International Airport

THE R.I. AIRPORT Corp. announced Wednesday that T.F. Green Airport has been officially renamed as Rhode Island T.F. Green International Airport. / COURTESY R.I. AIRPORT CORP.
THE R.I. AIRPORT Corp. announced Wednesday that T.F. Green Airport has been officially renamed as Rhode Island T.F. Green International Airport. / COURTESY R.I. AIRPORT CORP.

WARWICK – The long-awaited name change for Rhode Island’s largest airport is now official.

The R.I. Airport Corp. announced Wednesday that T.F. Green Airport has been renamed as Rhode Island T.F. Green International Airport, ending a rebranding process that took approximately three years to complete.

Earlier this year, sponsors in both the House and Senate reached an agreement on renaming the state airport by adding a geographic identifier – Rhode Island – and not removing the airport’s namesake. T.F. Green Airport, according to the R.I. Airport Corp., was one of 32 mainland airports identified by the Federal Aviation Administration that did not have the city, region or state in its name.

The airport is named after the late Theodore Francis Green, who served as Rhode Island’s governor and U.S. senator from the early 1930s through 1961. It was previously identified as Hillsgrove State Airport before it was renamed T.F. Green Airport in 1938, the R.I. Airport Corp. said.

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The legislation, which was subsequently passed and signed into law June 4 by Gov. Daniel J. McKee, initially was held for further study in early April over criticism about “Providence” being omitted from the airport’s name.

The airport corporation said the airport’s new name will better position Rhode Island’s main airport to support the state’s economy and tourism sector. “This name change can help better identify Rhode Island as a destination for all travelers and we are confident this measure will have a long term benefit to Rhode Island’s economy,” said R.I. Airport Corp. board Chair Jonathan N. Savage in a statement.

James Bessette is the PBN special projects editor, and also covers the nonprofit and education sectors. You may reach him at Bessette@PBN.com. You may also follow him on Twitter at @James_Bessette.

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