Prague airport renamed after Czech ex-leader Vaclav Havel

Vaclav Havel's widow Dagmar Havlova joined dignitaries for the ceremony

Prague's international airport has been renamed after former Czech President Vaclav Havel, who died last year.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by dignitaries and family took place on what would have been his 76th birthday.

More than 80,000 people signed a petition calling for the name change to honour the dissident playwright.

Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg said he hoped every Czech air passenger leaving Prague would think of the man to whom they owed their freedom.

"This is the right place (to bear Havel's name) - it was he who enabled the Czech nation to travel out of this country," he added.

Mr Havel led the peaceful 1989 overthrow of communism in then Soviet-backed Czechoslovakia.

"November 1989 was possible only because of Vaclav Havel," said Mr Schwarzenberg.

A line of dignitaries including the former president's widow Dagmar Havlova cut the small strip of airport tape to mark the renaming.

Ms Havlova said: "To me, today's ceremony is proof of recognition of President Vaclav Havel, a recognition of freedom and democracy in our country, a recognition of his acts for this country. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Vaclav Havel Airport Prague," she said.

The airport - one of the busiest transport hubs in central Europe - was formerly known as Ruzyne airport.

Vaclav Havel became president of Czechoslovakia in 1989 after the fall of communism. When Slovakia split in 1993, he remained Czech leader until 2003.

He died last December after having suffered from respiratory problems for many years.