Liverpool airport honors Lennon

Lennon joins the likes of John Kennedy, Josef Strauss and Charles de Gaulle, who have all had airports named in their honor

LIVERPOOL, England -- Liverpool is to name its airport after one if its most famous sons.

The city announced on Friday that Liverpool Airport is to be renamed after Beatles legend John Lennon.

The move has been welcomed by the singer's widow, Yoko Ono, and his two sons.

The airport -- which will be visited by his widow on Monday -- will be given its new title next year when a new terminal opens.

Liverpool John Lennon Airport, as it is to be called, will be the first UK airport to be named after an individual.

Lennon joins figures like John F Kennedy (New York), Leonardo Da Vinci (Rome), Charles de Gaulle (Paris), Ronald Reagan (Washington) and Josef Strauss (Munich) who have been honoured in such a way.

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Ono said: "I was honoured and delighted when I first heard of the proposal to name the airport in Liverpool after John.

"As a gateway to the region this will be seen by millions of passengers and is a fitting tribute to the memory of my late husband."

The couple's son, Sean Lennon, said: "It is a great honour for my dad and for our family.

"My mum and I are very proud and would like to thank the people of Liverpool for all their warmth and support over the years."

And John's son Julian, from his first marriage, said: "I am very happy to see that Liverpool has taken the opportunity to remember one of its most famous citizens in a way that reaches millions of people.

"It seems that the name John Lennon will be around for a very long time -- one way or another. All the best to everybody involved, and I hope everything gets off to a flying start."

Airport owners Peel Holdings saw the move as a "fitting and lasting tribute" to the star, who was murdered in his adopted city of New York in December 1980.

A new logo for the transport hub includes a self-portrait of Lennon and the line "above us only sky", taken from his enduring classic peace anthem Imagine.

A statue of the singer has been commissioned from sculptor Tom Murphy which will stand inside the airport.

The Beatles' links to Merseyside brings an annual £20 million boost to the local economy and renaming the airport is expected to raise its profile globally.

City council leader Mike Storey said: "His legacy and his huge talent will always be remembered, but it is fitting that here, in the city of his birth, there will be such a permanent tribute to his memory."

Ono will be in the city to collect an honorary doctorate from Liverpool University.