AND FINALLY: Name sought for new airport

President Erdoğan of Turkey is today expected to open the new Istanbul airport. But what will it be called?

The title of the $10bn project will be announced at the opening, we are told, with parallels presumably drawn from other gateways. 

Many major airports are named after those that have passed on: Da Vinci (Rome), Charles de Gaulle (Paris) and JFK (New York) are examples. Others are called after vain types still with us such as Bush (Houston International).

Some have changed names due to political expediency, typically Jan Smuts Johannesburg becoming OR Tambo, though not even the current US president has yet dared to replace Dulles (Washington), named for a former secretary of state, with Trump International.  

The three-letter codes have always stayed the same, except in this case: IST is the old code and (for the time being, they say) ISL the new.

And the name?

Khashoggi Memorial is our favourite but unlikely. Suggestions welcome.

Also see 7 March 2016  AND FINALLY   Can a parallel be drawn?

Go to ON TOUR: New Istanbul International Airport and Istanbul’s new airport takes off

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All comments are filtered to exclude any excesses but the Editor does not have to agree with what is being said. 100 words maximum

Simon Grigor, Harrow

I think you're being a bit unfair in your comment about Houston Airport. It's named after George H W Bush. He was a formidable naval aviator of WW II, and - in my humble opinion - a good president. Were it to have been named after his son, I'd have had a great deal more sympathy with the BTN comment!

Allan Schoenherr, Prague, Czech Republic

My understanding is that the new airport will use ISL only until 31st Dec? Then it will inherit IST from Ataturk which will take ISL in return until operations cease? it doesn't sound like the most straightforward system and not sure how agencies can communicate to customers which airport they are flying into given the code will refer to two locations based on the departure date. I guess there are parallels with the Bangkok airport move a few years ago, except that DMK was/is not shutting down.