El Paso Airport getting rid of green lizard carpet

For decades, visitors to the El Paso International Airport have been greeted by a green lizard carpet.

That will soon change.

“We were doing the renovations and adopting a new color scheme. We felt that it was the right time to start transitioning out,” director of aviation Monica Lombrana said.

The carpet – installed in the mid 1990s – has been a divisive issue on social media.

Michael Thomas tweeted in December 2017: “The El Paso airport should sell socks that match the carpet.”

Mason Quinones is not a fan. He tweeted in December 2016: “There are few things that are as aesthetically displeasing as the El Paso airport’s lizard carpet.

Lombrana said the carpet is also expensive.

“The lizards are wonderful. They’re part of our history. We’ll never forget them. But it was also very costly to do upkeep with that. Whenever we had to replace carpeting, because the lizards are copy righted, we had to get a special one,” Lombrana said.

El Paso native Monica Quiet said the carpet always made her feel nostalgic. “Even when I lived in Dallas, coming home, it was always just a good, warm, fuzzy feeling to see the lizards,” Quiet said.

Airport officials said the carpet will be replaced by May 2018. There is some good news for Lizard-carpet lovers. The airport will hold a giveaway for squares of the carpet later this year. Details for the giveaway will be posted on the El Paso International Airport Facebook page.