Yoko Ono proud of Lennon Airport 

Yoko Ono spoke of her pride at the official renaming of Liverpool's airport in memory of Beatle John Lennon, one of the British city's most famous sons.

The late Beatle's widow unveiled the airport's new logo which features a cartoon self-portrait of Lennon and the words "Above us only sky", taken from his hit "Imagine".

"I was honoured and delighted when I first heard of the proposal to name the airport here in Liverpool after John," she said in a statement. "I am proud to be here today to celebrate one of Liverpool's greatest men."

Ono was presented with a scale model of a statue of Lennon which will be erected at the airport in northwest England.

The airport's owner Peel Holdings said the new name - Liverpool John Lennon Airport - would be used from next spring when its new 32 million pound ($NZ110.3 million) terminal opens.

"Throughout the world, John Lennon is synonymous with Liverpool," airport chairman Robert Hough said. "He is an integral part of Merseyside's heritage and the new name places the airport firmly on the international map."

It would be the first time a British airport has been named after an individual, the Airport Operators Association said.

The practice is common around the world with airports dedicated to Leonardo da Vinci (Rome), Josef Strauss (Munich) and John F Kennedy (New York).

Lennon was born and educated in Liverpool and began his Beatles career in the city's Cavern Club.

By the early 1970s he had moved to New York with Ono, whom he married in 1969.

Lennon was shot dead by Mark Chapman outside his New York apartment building in December 1980.

© Reuters