NATALIE ALLEN, CNN ANCHOR: The ties that bind: John Lennon and Liverpool, England. He was born there, educated there and began his career there, and now the city honors his memory with an act that's a first for Britain. Here's CNN's Jennifer Eccleston from London.</s>JENNIFER ECCLESTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): New York has Kennedy. Rome, da Vinci, Munich, Strauss. Now Liverpool will have Lennon. John Lennon Airport, that is, named after the local legend and former Beatle. His widow said he would have been very proud.</s>YOKO ONO, JOHN LENNON'S WIDOW: I'm delighted that Liverpool has decided to honor John in this manner. John had always reminded us of the sense of fun in life. I hope the John Lennon Airport will send a big smile to all corners of the world from John. As John said, "There is no hell below us, above us, only sky."</s>ECCLESTON: Those lyrics from John Lennon's classic hit "Imagine," and now a part of airport's new logo. Liverpool is best known as the home of the Beatles. John, Paul, Ringo and George are all native sons. The band started in city's Cavern nightclub and went on to top the charts all over the world. Since the early '60s, Beatles fans have poured into the city, pumping an annual $30 million into the local economy. Yoko Ono's visit, just one more occasion to honor what many locals call the greatest band in the world.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If we could just see her and take a picture as she's pulling in and coming out, that would be enough for us.</s>ECCLESTON: Liverpool's airport will become John Lennon Airport in spring, 2002, with the unveiling of a life-sized bronze statue of the artist. It will be the first U.K. airport to be named after an individual. Jennifer Eccleston, CNN, London.
Liverpool Airport Honors John Lennon