London Heathrow Airport (LHR), the UK’s (and Europe’s) busiest airport, celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2021. While the facility is a well-known hub, not everyone knows that Heathrow Airport was initially called ‘London Airport’ before its current name was adopted in 1966. So what exactly led to London Airport’s renaming? Let’s explore this question.
A brief history of London Airport
While London Heathrow was officially established in 1946 as London Airport, its origins stretch back even further. Indeed, before the onset of the Second World War, the site of Heathrow was home to a private airfield. This facility opened in 1929 and was operated by UK aircraft manufacturer Fairey Aviation.
Known at the time as the Great West Aerodrome, the airfield was situated near a hamlet known as ‘Heath Row,’ on the outskirts of London. This small settlement was demolished entirely in 1944 to make room for expansion work. Historical documents from the 15th century recorded the hamlet’s name as ‘La Hetherewe.’
After the Second World War ended, the facility began operating its first commercial flights in 1946 under the London Airport name. It expanded rapidly and soon began to handle millions of passengers each year by the 1960s.
London’s main airport at the time was Croydon, which wasn’t suitable for post-war aircraft. It also lacked expansion potential. London Airport was thus earmarked to become the capital’s primary airport, and underwent significant expansion work, including three new terminals by 1969. So what led to its name change?
Gatwick Airport arrives on the scene
With air travel becoming more accessible to the everyday person post-World War II, London needed to expand its aviation capacities to keep up. This led to the reopening of a newly-renovated Gatwick Airport in 1958, with Queen Elizabeth II in ceremonial attendance. This facility soon attracted many prominent airlines.
As Gatwick rose to prominence, it became increasingly apparent that ‘London Airport’ needed a less generic name. This would help distinguish it from its counterpart in the south. Named after the hamlet it was built on, London Airport became Heathrow Airport in 1966. The current location of Terminal 3 is said to be closest to where the centuries-old hamlet of Heath Row once stood.
The airport almost took on a different name
As it happens, the transition to ‘Heathrow’ wasn’t the only name change on the table. Indeed, the airport was allegedly almost named ‘Swintonfield’ after the first Minister of Civil Aviation, Lord Swinton. A key concern among authorities at the time was that foreign visitors and crews would have trouble pronouncing Heathrow.
However, despite these worries, the name stuck. Back in the 1990s, there was talk of renaming the airport again, this time after a significant UK historical figure, namely Sir Winston Churchill. According to records from the National Archives, Prime Minister John Major considered the idea in 1996. However, this never went ahead, and LHR has now spent over half a century operating under its current name.
Today, Heathrow remains a central force in global aviation. It is currently the busiest airport in Europe by seats, serving a total of 4,294,147 seats this month, according to OAG data. This factor makes it the fourth busiest airport in the world. Moreover, the site is also a hotspot for all types of passenger jets, often attracting planespotters and enthusiasts from across the continents.
Despite pandemic challenges, Heathrow is returning robustly, nearing pre-COVID levels of activity. It will be keen to continue its growth into the second half of this year.
Source.simpleflying.com