The city of Louisville has announced that it will rename its airport as the Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport in honour of iconic boxer, Muhammad Ali.
The announcement came on Wednesday after a vote on the recommendation by a working group that studied renaming the airport for more than a year.
“This tells the world how proud we are to associate ‘The Greatest’ with not only our great city, but our great airport,” Jim Welch, chairman of the Airport Authority Board, said in a statement.
Muhammad Ali’s widow, Lonnie Ali, expressed her support for the name change: “I am happy that visitors from far and wide who travel to Louisville will have another touch-point to Muhammad and be reminded of his open and inclusive nature, which is reflective of our city.”
Muhammad Ali, born Cassius Clay, was known not only for his athletic prowess but also for his social activism.
He died in 2016 after decades of struggle with Parkinson’s disease.
Ali, a former world heavyweight champion labeled himself “The Greatest of All Time,” and was among the most famous and beloved athletes on the planet.
Though the airport’s name will change, the airport’s three-letter International Air Transport Association Location Identifier, SDF, will not.
Louisville Tourism says the city stands to reap economic benefits by boosting Ali-related tourism, much as the city has done in establishing Bourbonism as a global tourist experience.
