KCI Airport needs a name as grand as its new terminal: Cast your vote, Kansas City | Opinion

When it comes to a name, Kansas City International Airport could stand to level up now that people are flying in and out of a jazzy new landing spot.

So, speaking of jazzy, why not leverage our connection to famous jazzman Charlie “Yardbird” Parker to name our airport? People may think of New Orleans as the birthplace of jazz, but it’s fair to say that Kansas City is where it was raised. So why not let the Bird be visitors’ first introduction to our town? And for those who have to look up who Charlie Parker was, that’s a good way for them not just to learn about our city’s rich jazz history, but maybe also to lead them to nudge the local economy as they put visiting one of the jazz clubs or visiting the Jazz Museum on their sightseeing list.

If we wanted to go with a more generic new terminal name that honors jazz, such as “18th & Vine International Airport” — or something similar to spread out the homage — a lot of people would be on board. Especially with the recent losses of jazz greats Ida McBeth and Ronnie McFadden, that would be one way to honor the great musical legacies that are part of Kansas City’s DNA.

Another idea is naming the airport after the late, great Buck O’Neil, a beloved baseball maverick who made his mark on the the Negro American League before playing a monumental role in establishing Kansas City’s Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. Honoring Buck by naming the terminal after him would also give the airport a chance to teach a history lesson about the color barriers in sports.

While renaming the airport to commemorate a famous Kansas Citian would be touching (actors Ginger Rogers, Ed Asner or even Jason Sudeikis could even be contenders), it’s also good branding that tells people not just what we’re known for, but what we are proud of. As is, people don’t know whether they are flying into the state of Kansas or Missouri. Maybe if we gave them a name to associate with our whole metropolitan area, that would make them a little more curious about the diversity and depth of Kansas City.

But the decision to name the airport needs to be in the hands of the people. Or, at least, the process needs to center on a vigorous and earnest desire to listen to Kansas Citians.

If this city has learned anything from the debacle of a few years ago when it came to naming a street after Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., it’s that the people who live here want to give input, and not just see such an important decision rest in the hands of a few politicians or faceless committee members. They don’t want to see what should be an important mark of respect become a slapped-on decision that ignores the opinions, if not the will, of the people.

Let’s urge the powers that be to hold a series of public conversations about whom or what to honor with our new airport terminal’s name. And if that’s already being quietly considered, let’s bring that conversation out into the open. For most visitors, the new KCI is their first glimpse into the city’s personality, and the last glimpse they are left with.

Other cities know that naming an airport after a famous resident makes a statement at best, or a conversation starter at least: John Wayne Airport in Orange County, California, or Muhammad Ali International Airport in Louisville, Kentucky.

So what’s your pick: Walt Disney Memorial? City of Fountains International? Vote in our (wildly unscientific) poll by clicking here, and we’ll follow up with the best. We’ll take your answers until May 3.

A rose by any other name may be a rose — but with the long-awaited airport finally open for business, we should take the opportunity to show what’s in Kansas City’s garden.