Summary

  • 95% of airports are named after men, with notable examples being Tenzing-Hillary Airport and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
  • Pope John Paul II has three airports named after him: Kraków John Paul II International Airport, Bari Karol Wojtyła Airport, and Ponta Delgada João Paulo II Airport.
  • Kraków John Paul II International Airport is the second-busiest in Poland, handling over 9 million passengers in 2023, while Bari Karol Wojtyła Airport served over 6 million passengers.

There are various ways to name an airport. The simplest way is to name it after the place where it is tucked in, and the likes of Edinburgh Airport and Glasgow Airport are a few examples of airports named simply after their locations. Interestingly, according to iNews, studies show that around 95% of airports are named after men.

Examples of well-known airports named after men include Tenzing-Hillary Airport (also known as Lukla Airport; it was named after Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Sherpa—the two first men to climb Mt. Everest) and Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport (named after former Atlanta mayors William B. Hartsfield and Maynard Jackson).

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Most of the famous people after whom airports have been named were lucky enough to have one airport named after them. These would include the likes of Indira Gandhi (after whom Delhi Airport is named) and John F. Kennedy (after whom the airport in New York is named), among others. However, some people are lucky enough to have more than one country named after them. One such person is Pope John Paul II.

Bremen Airport Runway Sunset

Photo: Jake Hardiman | Simple Flying

As many as three airports have been named after Pope John Paul II

Some people have dubbed Pope John Paul to be the “man of the century”, while other epithets bestowed upon him include “the witness to hope”. He served as “Sovereign of the State of Vatican City” from 1978 to 2005, and as he echoed sayings such as, “Better than a thousand useless words is one single word that gives peace,” his life and times ensured that airports in three nations in Europe were named after him:

  • Kraków John Paul II International Airport in Poland
  • Bari Karol Wojtyła Airport in Italy
  • Ponta Delgada João Paulo II Airport in Portugal

Kraków John Paul II International Airport in Poland

Location Balice, Poland
Surface Concrete
Runway 2,550 meters (8,366 ft)
Hub for LOT Polish Airlines
Airport type Public/ Military

The Kraków John Paul II International Airport handled more than 9 million passengers in 2023, making it the second-busiest airport in Poland. The busiest airport in Poland, however, is the Warsaw Chopin Airport, which handles twice the number of passengers in Kraków John Paul II International Airport. After making history by becoming the first regional airport in Poland to handle 9 million passengers, the president of the airport commented:

“We are starting 2024 with a strong focus on the further development of Kraków Airport. We want to serve 10 million passengers, but just like last year, we are aware that we are in such unstable times that we must be prepared for a full range of events and solutions.”

John_Paul_II_Airport_in_Balice-Kraków_tarmac_seen_from_airport_terminal,_Poland,_2019

The airport was a military site until 1968. After the first passenger terminal was built there in the 1970s and the subsequent expansion of the airport, the entire apron of the airport was modernized in 1995. Until then, the airport was simply known as the Kraków–Balice Airport but was later renamed to John Paul II International Airport Kraków–Balice. After all, Pope John Paul II served many years as the Archbishop of Kraków.

The airport is now a hub for:

Bari Karol Wojtyła Airport in Italy

Location Bari, Italy
Surface Asphalt
Runway 2,417 m (8,192 ft)
Airport type Public/ Civil/ Military
Focus City for Ryanair, Volotea

Pope John Paul II was born as Karol Józef Wojtyła. This is why this airport located in Bari, which handled more than 6 million passengers in 2023, is named Bari Karol Wojtyła Airport. The airport is known as Palese Airport among the locals.

The airport’s history stretches back to the 1930s when it was a military airfield. It was built by Regia Aeronautica, the air force of the Kingdom of Italy, which dissolved in 1946. In 1943, during the Liberation of Italy, the airport was seized by Britain and turned into an Allied military airfield. It was only after the end of World War II that the Italian Air Force regained control of the airport. The first flight from the airport for the public took place in the 1960s.

Bari_airport_departure

Despite an extension of the airport’s runway, alongside upgrading the terminal during the 1990 FIFA World Cup held in Italy, the airport had to undergo further renovations during the turn of the millennium. Some airlines operating from this airport include:

Ponta Delgada João Paulo II Airport in Portugal

Location São Miguel, Portugal
Surface Asphalt
Airport type Public
Base for Ryanair

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Located in the archipelago of the Azores, Ponta Delgada João Paulo II Airport in Portugal is the third airport named after Pope John Paul II. The airport was inaugurated towards the end of the 1960s to serve interisland connections. It was renamed in honor of Pope John Paul II in 1995 after he had visited the island earlier that decade.

Some of the popular airlines operating out of this airport include:

British Airways, United Airlines, and Iberia also conduct seasonal flights from the airport.

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