As Frank Zappa would say: that’s right, you heard right. Pensacola International Airport.

Mayor Hayward unveiled the name change at the new terminal’s dedication ceremony this morning, the latest portion of the airport’s five-year, $82 million capital expansion. No new air services were announced, however, making it a change in name only — for now.

“One of the things I asked [Airport Director] Melinda Crawford when I took office was, ‘Melinda, what can we do to change our name to Pensacola International Airport?’” Hayward said at the ceremony.

“Folks, we need to be proactive, not reactive, in going after the business. There’s 22 international airports in the state of Florida, and we’re going to add to that. So if we’re the first European settlement in the United States, we need to tell our folks that we are international. We need to go after those charter flights, and that’s what we’re going to do.”

According to Crawford, the old name gave the perception of a smaller facility and affected our ability to compete for capital dollars and bond ratings for making improvements.

“It just raises the awareness, and it’s a perception issue, and we need to take the ball and lead with that,” Hayward said.

While “Pensacola International Airport” certainly rolls off the tongue better than “Pensacola Gulf Coast Regional Airport,” let’s hope those charter flights start happening sooner than later.