From Batman to Moron: 10 Airport Names We Love

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E.M. Forster once called train stations “our gates to the glorious and the unknown.” We feel the same way about airports. And what better place to start a grand adventure than at an airport with a really memorable name? From whimsical to silly to classic to futuristic, here are 10 of our favorite airport names around the world.

Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, Arizona

Not many major American airports have exciting names, so Phoenix's Sky Harbor really stands out as one that dares to dream. The phrase "Sky Harbor" beckons the eye upward, promising a future that hasn't yet arrived, one full of hovercrafts and boarding gates that levitate. Sure, the reality is nowhere near as interesting, but we applaud the effort all the same.

Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, Arizona

Robin Hood Airport, England

Swashbuckling adventures await at Robin Hood Airport near Sheffield, England. You'll still have to check all swords and any loot pouches that won't fit in the overhead bins (this is an airport, after all), but any merry band of travelers could do much worse than beginning a memorable adventure at an airport called Robin Hood.

Batman Airport, Turkey

Even billionaire superheroes have to fly commercial every once in a while. Lucky for them (and for legions of fans around the world), there's Batman Airport, which serves the city of Batman in Turkey, named for its proximity to the river of the same name. Cue the theme music.

Leonardo da Vinci Airport, Italy

Sure, flight technology has come a long way since da Vinci's sketching days, but naming an airport after the Italian artist and visionary still seems perfect to us. The Alitalia hub, located just outside Rome, is also known as Fiumicino Airport, but why would you ever call it that when you could call it Leonardo da Vinci instead?

Eek Airport, Alaska

Here's what we like about the name of this small airport in the wilds of Alaska: It's an exclamation, and a surprisingly dainty one at that, given that you're as likely to see a bear as a mouse in this part of the world. Eek doesn't see a ton of visitors, but area residents keep things humming. They averaged an amazing 40 flights per person in 2009 (for comparison, a more typical average for U.S. airports is less than one flight per resident per year).

Liverpool John Lennon Airport, England

Liverpool's John Lennon Airport doesn't have to look far for its tagline: "Above us only sky." Not only does the name up the airport's cool factor, it also seems entirely appropriate. After all, John Lennon did a lot of actual flying to tour the world with the Beatles and later on his own, and the man was also pretty dedicated to letting his mind fly free … psychedelically.

Flamingo Airport, Bonaire

You know Bonaire has committed to the name of its airport when you see the bright pink of its buildings. This is one pink Flamingo Airport. Best of all, with its skinny base, round top, and pink coat of paint, the control tower seems to loom above the rest of the airport like a noble guardian flamingo.

Moron Airport, Mongolia

Though the name may suggest otherwise, Moron Airport is not where the airline industry transfers inept TSA agents and inattentive cargo loaders. Instead, it's the airport serving the city of Moron, a Mongolian provincial capital. In any case, for English speakers and frequent travelers, there's a certain poetic justice to the name, so it earns a place in our hearts.

Albuquerque International Sunport, New Mexico

Most major cities have an airport, but very few have a Sunport. And with an average of 310 sunny days each year, Albuquerque's airport offers truth in advertising. Just think of the possibilities if other cities were willing to follow its example: Honolulu International would be renamed Sunburnport, Sea-Tac would call itself Rainport, and LAX would work diligently to earn its Smogport moniker.

Pickle Lake Airport, Canada

Some of the best airport names are based on otherwise obscure landmarks. One such airport is Pickle Lake in Canada. You can get some sense of just how off the beaten path the nearby town of Pickle Lake is by its slogan, "The Last Frontier." At least there are pickles at the end of the road.

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