The initiative of provincial cultural groups wants to give more relevance to the poet Miguel Hernández aerodrome losing its name
Supporters of the Oriolano poet Miguel Hernández have begun to collect signatures and support across the province so that the Alicante-Elche airport bears the name of the writer.
The objective, they explain, is to raise the profile of the poet and ensure more recognition that would cross borders, in this case, tourism.
The signatures will be presented at the Government Sub-delegation, where the supporters, including Professor Joan Pamies, will try to open a debate on a social level as the first phase of this project.
The initiative proposes maintaining the current name so as not to generate distress by removing the name of the two cities so it would become Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández airport, or similar.
“In the United States there are airports named after famous people, so we believe that it is an opportunity to promote the poet and to represent the entire province,” according to coordinator Julio Ríos.
It is not the first time that the proposal has been made. In 2013 Esquerra Unida suggested it when Aena accepted the proposal of the Elche City Council for the airport enclosure to include the name of the city. However, the proposal at that time was that the poet was the only name to be used, while now what is proposed is to expand it.
In the coming days, supporters and cultural groups will launch a proposal in order to be able to collect signatures through WhatsApp, which they hope will have a significant impact on their proposition.
The objective is to turn this petition into a public lobby and reach the largest possible number of groups with the aim of highlighting the legacy of the Oriolano poet.
The last name change of the airport took place in July 2013. From that date all the signage, both inside the airport and outside, was replaced to include the name of Elche. However to this day, only the acronym ALC continues to appear on tickets and reservations, in reference to Alicante, although the object of that proposal was to gain additional visibility for Elche.
