Proposal to rename Fort Worth Alliance Airport would honor Ross Perot Sr.

A proposal is in the works to change the name of Fort Worth Alliance Airport to recognize the contributions of the H. Ross Perot Sr. to the city and in the creation of the airport.

Fort Worth City Council is expected to vote at its June 14 meeting on a resolution supporting the name change. The proposal, first suggested by District 7 City Council Member Leonard Firestone, recommends naming the airport to Perot Field Fort Worth Alliance Airport.

If approved by the council, the proposal would then be submitted to the Federal Aviation Administration for consideration, according to a June 7 informal report to City Council. The FAA’s process is expected to take 30-90 days, according to the city.

Perot founded Electronic Data Systems in June 1962, and in 1988 he joined with his son, Ross Perot Jr., and others to form Perot Systems Corp., according to a timeline at www.rossperot.com. In 1992, he campaigned as an independent candidate for U.S. president.

"In May 1988, the city received “the initial dedication of 381 acres of land from Alliance Airport Ltd. (a Perot company) to support the development of the world’s first industrial airport,” according to the city’s informal report. That airport has grown to more than 1,200 acres, according to Roger Venables, the city's aviation systems director.

Venables told City Council on June 7 that the goal of the name change is to honor Perot's "legacy and contributions to the betterment of the city of Fort Worth."

Today, the airport is part of the 27,000-acre AllianceTexas development that has had an estimated $100.6 billion in cumulative impact in the region since 1990, according to developer Hillwood in a presentation in February.