Manchester markets Boston's good name

For years, New Hampshire has proudly proclaimed itself as the anti-Boston, a place with no income tax, lots of land, and no congestion, thank you very much.

Well, New Hampshire, welcome to Massachusetts.

Manchester's Board of Aldermen late Tuesday approved renaming the city's airport Manchester-Boston Regional Airport.

Apparently, no one outside of New England really knows where Manchester, N.H., is -- only about 3 percent, according to a recent airport study. But more than 90 percent can pinpoint Boston.

''We were somewhat surprised to see how deep the lack of awareness about Manchester Airport and where it's located," said Kevin Dillon, director of the airport, about 55 miles north of Boston. ''Why not add Boston to our name?"

Manchester, with a population of 109,000, to Boston's 569,000, would not be the first city to latch onto a better-known neighbor.

Consider that Washington Dulles International Airport is in Dulles, Va., 27 miles outside of Washington, D.C. The New York Giants have played their home games in East Rutherford, N.J., for 30 years. Boston Market? It's based in Golden, Colo. Boston Scientific Corp., the state's most valuable company? Try Natick.

Manchester's decision to mooch off of Boston is a ''brilliant marketing move," said Fran Kelly, chief executive of the Boston advertising firm Arnold, because it makes clear to travelers that they can fly through Manchester to get to Boston.

''But I'm sure it will drive the people at Logan crazy," Kelly said. ''Last time I checked, Manchester was over an hour away and in another state. I've honestly never seen a land grab like that before."

But a name certainly has value -- sometimes so much it's worth a fight.

Over the past year, the City of Anaheim has spent about $3.6 million battling the hometown baseball team for changing the name to Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, from Anaheim Angels, according to published reports. City officials claim the team name was worth hundreds of millions of dollars in publicity and tourist revenue. The Angels' owner, meanwhile, took on the untraditional moniker to boost marketing opportunities associated with the much larger Los Angeles market.

Indeed, Manchester, once a fast-growing New England airport, thanks to Southwest Airlines, is slowing down. Airport traffic is down 5 percent this year after serving a record 4.3 million passengers last year (about one-sixth of the traffic at Logan International Airport in Boston). Manchester's passenger traffic is not expected to go much higher, said airport director Dillon, making the Boston name even more attractive.

''Destinations are important in official names of airports," said Jonathan O. Dean, a spokesman for Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport in Lithicum, Md., about 10 miles from Baltimore and 32 miles from Washington. ''We're in a competitive environment and we want to be known as a destination serving both Baltimore and Washington."

For now, the Massachusetts Port Authority, which runs Logan, is taking Manchester's name grab in stride.

''Imitation is the highest form of flattery," said Craig P. Coy, Massport's chief executive. ''At the end of the day, the fact is that people want to associate with the Hub."

In recent years, Massport has considered renaming the Worcester Regional Airport, which it runs under contract with that city, as Worcester-Boston Regional, to better promote service there.

Still, Massport and Boston officials have not ruled out action against Manchester for poaching the Boston name. Besides using the city's good reputation to build up Manchester's numbers, Boston officials say, Manchester is misleading passengers.

At Logan yesterday, several travelers said the New Hampshire airport's new name could trip people up.

''I'd find that confusing," said Nicholas Garner, 31, of Jackson, Miss., who was visiting Boston.

And that's exactly what Mayor Thomas M. Menino fears. He's concerned about out-of-towners flying into Manchester -- thinking that the Back Bay is minutes away -- and then getting slapped with a $150 cab ride to the real Boston.

Nonetheless, the new name takes effect immediately.

''This is a done deal," said Manchester Mayor Frank Guinta. ''If you call the airport today, they'll say Manchester-Boston Regional Airport."

Guinta said he's confident that adding Boston to the airport's name won't dilute Manchester's identity. Manchester is the largest city in the Granite State, and it becomes a political epicenter when New Hampshire holds its presidential primary, he said.

Guinta insists the name change won't hurt Manchester, but wonders what it will do to the Hub's self-esteem: ''Is Boston going to survive this crisis?"

Jenn Abelson can be reached at abelson@globe.com.; Chris Reidy can be reached atreidy@globe.com.