Llandegley International Airport

Sign, next to the A44, seen in January 2014

Llandegley International Airport is a spoof located in the village of Llandegley (Welsh: Llandeglau), near Llandrindod Wells, in mid Wales. No such airport exists, but a sign, erected as a practical joke, announces a forthcoming turn off to it.[1][2][3]

Sign and A44, seen in August 2013

Despite Llandegley having no airfield—much less one of international standard—a visitor to Llandegley, Nicholas Whitehead, erected his own road sign, mimicking the UK's standard Worboys signs, on private land on the north side of the A44 east of Crossgates in 2002, showing "Llandegley International [Airport] / Terminals 1 & 3 / 2½ m".[1][2] He spent £1,000 on renting the site.[2][4]

The original sign was removed in November 2009, but was replaced in 2010 following public outcry.[1][5] It was replaced again in April 2012.[5] The version of the sign visible on Google Street View imagery, captured in April 2021, has the added wording "For Airport Cafe, follow signs for Terminal 1", and a fly posted "No 2 Runway 2" notice."[6]

The sign has attracted press and television coverage and was mentioned in the United Kingdom Parliament in 2003 by Roger Williams, the Member of Parliament for Brecon and Radnorshire.[1][7]

The sign is listed in the Welsh Government's National Monuments Record database, Coflein.[5]

A Twitter account, @llandegley_int, has operated in the name of the airport since 2008, and the airport has a Facebook page.

In November 2022, the owner decided to end his commitment to the sign, explaining it had cost him a total of over £25,000 to date. He expressed the hope that the Welsh Government's heritage body, Cadw, might be interested in funding it in the future as a cultural landmark.[8]

After a crowdfunding campaign, in May 2023 a new sign was erected east of the village, where the landowner will allow it to remain without cost.[9]

  1. ^ a b c d Brockway, Derek (6 May 2010). "Llandegley International Airport" (blog). BBC. Retrieved 20 February 2022.
  2. ^ a b c "Midland holidaymakers baffled by international airport that simply doesn't exist". Sunday Mercury. 5 August 2012. Retrieved 20 February 2022.
  3. ^ "Planes DID land at spoof Llandegley International Airport". Sunday Mercury. 12 August 2012. Retrieved 20 February 2022.
  4. ^ "Notes & Queries: Sexual marathons; A mountain village with its own airport?; Horse play; The death of boys' own adventures". The Guardian. 30 July 2003.
  5. ^ a b c "Llandegley International Airport Sign, A44, Crossgates (413641)". Coflein. RCAHMW. Retrieved 20 February 2022.
  6. ^ "Google Maps". Retrieved 20 February 2022.
  7. ^ "Welsh Affairs". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). House of Commons. 12 March 2003. col. 370.
  8. ^ Charles, Sue (13 November 2022). "Man ends 20-year Llandegley airport sign joke that cost £25k". BBC News. Retrieved 13 November 2022.
  9. ^ Charles, Sue (7 May 2023). "Powys: Spoof £25,000 airport sign makes a welcome return". BBC News.