Heathrow Airport was originally opened on March 25, 1946, as London Airport. It was built on the site of a small private airfield called the Great Western Aerodrome, which was used for aircraft assembly and testing. The name was officially changed to Heathrow Airport in the final week of September 1966. This change was primarily made to avoid confusion with other burgeoning airports serving the capital, namely Gatwick and Stansted, which were also referred to as "London" airports. The name "Heathrow" itself comes from the hamlet of Heathrow, a small agricultural settlement that was largely demolished to make way for the airport's runways. Today, Heathrow is one of the world's most recognizable brand names in travel, but its early identity as the singular "London Airport" reflects its status as the UK's first primary international gateway in the post-war era, serving as the hub for the nation's burgeoning civil aviation industry.