Why is Maine’s Portland Jetport Called a ‘Jetport,’ Not an Airport?

When you travel by air in the United States, your plane will usually take off and land at an 'airport.' In Maine, our busiest one is called a jetport. What's the difference?

First, let's start with the history of the Portland International Jetport, which incidentally you can't fly internationally from, unless you count Canada, but one oddity at a time here.

Portland-Westbrook Municipal Airport

TheJjetport was originally called the Portland-Westbrook Municipal Airport which is why its code to this day is PWM. Commercial jet service arrived in 1968, which in the 50's and 60's was highly touted as the new and fast way to travel by air. That's when Portland-Westbrook Municipal Airport changed its name to the Portland International Jetport which has stuck now for over 50 years.

Outdated Name?

Merriam-Webster defines a jetport as "An airport designed to handle jet airplanes,'' which is painfully obvious. But today, every major commercial airport is designed to handle jet airplanes. The need to push this new mode of travel was pretty much over by the end of the 1970s.

Highway Signs Changed From 'Airport' to 'Jetport'

PWM however doesn't want to change it. Someone is so adamant about it being called a jetport that about 20 years ago all the signs on the highways giving directions that read "airport" were changed to "jetport." If you look closely you'll even see where "jetport" covers up "airport" on signs that haven't been replaced since the change.

So it makes me wonder, do people visiting Portland get confused when they see "jetport" a term a quick Google search shows that only two other airports in the country use? I know we like to do things differently here in Maine, but why does our airport insist on holding on to this dated term? For now, it remains a Maine mystery.