Milan, Abu Dhabi, Bangalore and other airports that have changed their names

From the Great West Aerodrome to Mines Field, many airports have shed their original monikers

The first iteration of Heathrow Airport in London was originally called The Great West Aerodrome. Photo: Shutterstock

Renaming landmarks and other prominent structures is an old habit of mankind's. Reasons can range from racial and political to eulogical. The colonial-era Victoria Terminus in Mumbai (erstwhile Bombay) was changed to Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, for instance, while the 300-metre Tower in Paris was eventually renamed for the man who built it, (Gustav) Eiffel.

Often, the new name of a monument pays ode to a prominent personality. Such is the case for Milan's international airport, which this week announced it will forgo the name Malpensa and be renamed Aeroporto Silvio Berlusconi after the former Italian prime minister.

Here are six other cities with airports that have switched monikers over the years.

Abu Dhabi

In February, Abu Dhabi International Airport was renamed Zayed International Airport.

The name change, which was announced last year, was ordered by President Sheikh Mohamed in honour of the UAE's Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.

“The unsurpassed achievements of the late Sheikh Zayed in connecting our country to nations around the world have inspired our commitment to ensuring that Abu Dhabi further strengthens its position as a world-leading hub for travel, trade and commerce,” Sheikh Mohammed said.

The name change coincided with the official opening of the airport's Terminal A.

Louisville

The airport in Kentucky's largest city was originally called Standiford Field, for Dr Elisha David Standiford. The businessman and legislator owned part of the land in Jefferson County where the 600-hectare airport was built.

In 2019, however, the name was changed to Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport, in tribute to American heavyweight boxer Muhammad Ali.

Ali, himself named Cassius Marcellus Clay before he converted to Islam, was born in Louisville. He also has a non-profit museum and cultural centre named after him in his hometown.

Bangalore

One of several Indian cities that changed its name, Bangalore became Bengaluru in 2006. The South Indian city's airport, meanwhile, was retitled from Bangalore International Airport to Bengaluru Nadaprabhu Kempegowda International Airport in 2013.

Nada prabhu means landlord, while Kempe Gowda was a governor in the medieval Vijayanagara Empire, which ruled swathes of South India in the 16th century. Gowda was credited for developing Bangalore Town out of uninhabited woodlands and he ruled as governor for close to 50 years until his death in 1569.

Paris

The French capital's main international airport was called Aeroport de Paris Nord (Paris North Airport) during its eight-year planning and construction phase from 1966.

When it opened its doors in the mid-1970s, it was renamed after Charles de Gaulle, the former French president and army officer who led his forces against Nazi Germany during the Second World War. Gaulle himself died in 1970, four years before the airport that still bears his name became operational.

Sometimes called Roissy Airport, for the Parisian commune it is located in, Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport is more often referred to as Paris CDG now.

London

When it first came into operation, Heathrow was called the Great West Aerodome. The grass airfield was privately owned in the 1930s, and was operational through the Second World War until 1944 on the southeast edge of the hamlet of Heathrow.

At that time, the land also comprised orchards, market gardens and even Heathrow Farm, where Terminal 2 current stands.

Its modern-day moniker came about in 1966. Before that, it was simply called London Airport when it reopened post the war. This was primarily done to avoid confusing what was to become one of the busiest airports in the world with Gatwick and Stansted, the two other airports in London at the time.

Los Angeles

Los Angeles International Airport, better known as LAX, began life in the late 1920s as Mines Field. Named after the real estate broker responsible for the site's land deal, it was but a dirt landing strip with one hangar to start with.

Soon after, two additional hangars and a control tower were built, and the structure was renamed Los Angeles Municipal Airport in 1930. During the Second World War, the airport halted passenger flights, with the US military assuming control to station their fighter planes at the airfield.

Soon after the war, the airport was fortified with four terminals and it got its current name in 1949.