John F Kennedy International Airport was officially called New York International Airport-Anderson Field, after it opened in 1948, but was more commonly known as Idlewild Airport.
The airport in Queens, New York, was developed on land once occupied by the Idlewild Beach Golf Course, leading to it being referred to as Idlewild, and even used IDL as the FAA and IATA airport codes.
Following John F Kennedy’s assassination in November 1963, the airport was renamed John F Kennedy International Airport a month later as a tribute the late 35th US President. The airport was reassigned the airport code JFK by the FAA, an exceptional decision given that the agency reserved codes beginning with the letter ‘J’ for heliports.
