About £25,000 spent
Expensive joke: man pays 20 years for sign on fictional airport in Wales
20 years ago, Nicholas Whitehead had the sign made for a fictitious airport in Wales – the sign now has many fans
© Screenshot Facebook, @Llandegley International Airport
For 20 years, in the middle of Wales, a sign has been pointing to “Llandegley International Airport” – which in fact does not exist. Because it was too expensive, the author now wants to have the sign removed for the time being, but is hoping for official recognition from the authorities.
Actually, 20 years ago, Nicholas Whitehead just wanted to have a little fun. On a whim, over dinner with friends, the journalist thought aloud about putting up a public sign for something that doesn’t exist. The choice fell quickly on an airport. The fun turned into a serious project when, after a short research, he realized that the implementation wasn’t as complicated as he thought.
Since 2002, an inscription on an advertising poster on the A44 between the small towns of Rhayader and Kington in Wales has referred to “Llandegley International Airport”. In fact, it only leads to one field. The sign has now achieved cult status in the area, and for many it has become indispensable.
He has never received any complaints about the wrong sign, Whitehead tells the “BBC”. The “Llandegley International Airport sign” is marked as a “cultural monument” on Google Maps and has a five star rating, the fictional airport has its own page on Twitter and Facebook with thousands of followers. But now Whitehead has decided to have the shield removed first.
The sign’s creator is hoping for support from authorities in Wales
It stood on the A44 for a full 20 years, with Whitehead paying £1,500 in maintenance costs each year. Over the years, a total of 25,000 pounds has been collected, the equivalent of around 29,000 euros. Expensive fun – and at some point the costs became too high for Whitehead. “It’s not a national monument, it’s a national treasure,” he told the BBC. The sign is no longer needed to publicize the fictitious airport as it is now well established, he says. Nevertheless, he thinks it’s the turn of the “establishment” to continue.
In mid-November, the airport’s Facebook page announced that the sign was going away, and the BBC’s report was shared. But that shouldn’t mean the end for good, it’s emphasized immediately. The airport has yet to see its best days and its “loyal frequent flyers” on Facebook could all be part of its next chapter, it said.
A “Go fund me” page, created by Whitehead to get the plaque officially recognized by Cadw, Powys County Council and the Welsh Government, was shared later that same day. His goal is to replace the advertising poster with a real, official information sign. For this he collects money from supporters with the appeal – because “in times of austerity measures and cuts” he does not want to get the authorities to pay for it. 8000 pounds are needed for the project, currently the donated amount is 1750 pounds.
Support from fans of the fictional airport
His project has received a lot of support on social media. Comments on the post on Facebook show just how many die-hard fans the fictional airport has – who seem to share Whitehead’s humor. “If Paddington Station can have platform 9 3/4, Llandegley should have its international airport!” it says, for example, or “Thank you, Mr. Whitehead – real British humor.”
Many write down fictional travel reports about their experiences with the airport or ironically ask whether Terminal 2 is still being built. A kind of running gag, because only terminals 1 and 3 are signposted on the sign. It is particularly noticeable how many people write that they appreciate humorous actions like Nicholas Whitehead’s, especially in times of crisis – simply because they do good and bring some lightness.
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