Before it became the global aviation hub known today, the site of London Heathrow Airport was a small, private airfield known as the Great Western Aerodrome. It was established in 1929 by Fairey Aviation, a British aircraft manufacturer, and was primarily used for flight testing and assembly. The land was purchased from the Vicar of Harmondsworth and consisted of various plots around the tiny hamlet of Heath Row, from which the airport eventually took its name. In 1944, during World War II, the government requisitioned the land under emergency powers, ostensibly to build a base for long-range military aircraft heading to the Far East. However, by the time the war ended, the site was officially transitioned into a civil airport, opening as London Airport in 1946. It wasn't until 1966, with the opening of more terminals and the expansion of the site, that it was officially renamed Heathrow Airport to distinguish it from the newer Gatwick Airport. The original hamlet of Heath Row was entirely demolished to make way for the runways, but its name survives as one of the most recognized airport designations in the world.