Cardiff Airport rejects Princess Diana name change idea

Previous suggestions to rename Cardiff Airport include "Dylan Thomas" and "Robert Owen"

Cardiff Airport's managing director has rejected a proposal to rename it in honour of Princess Diana.

Former Cardiff councillor Mohammed Sarul Islam believes changing the name would act as a memorial.

But Debra Barber said being known as Cardiff Airport meant airline customers could instantly identify its location.

She said changing the name would ultimately be up to the Welsh Government, as owners of the airport.

Mr Islam had proposed the name change in a petition, which gathered 16 signatures, to the assembly.

'Retained'

Advising against the idea in a letter to the assembly's petitions committee, Ms Barber said an important part of the airport's business is "marketing Wales and our capital city, Cardiff... to airline customers".

"Being known as Cardiff Airport enables us to get the Cardiff and Wales message out into the market clearly and our customers are able to instantly identify the location of the airport and the connection to the capital city and the country as a whole," she wrote.

"We would therefore not support the petition and would recommend that the name Cardiff Airport is retained."