The board of directors for a Louisville airport voted Wednesday to change the name of the facility to honor hometown hero Muhammad Ali.
According to The Associated Press, the Louisville Regional Airport Authority approved a proposition that would change the name of Louisville International Airport to Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport in honor of the late boxer.
While Ali passed away in 2016, his wife Lonnie Ali said she was proud of the name change.
Muhammad Ali belonged to the world, but he only had one hometown. Today’s decision to change @flylouisville’s name to Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport is a major piece of a broader effort to celebrate those deep ties. pic.twitter.com/mxXyX4pILl
— Mayor Greg Fischer (@louisvillemayor) January 16, 2019
The mayor of Ali’s Kentucky hometown, Greg Fischer, revealed the decision was made after over a year of research by the airport board, which concluded that Ali’s name recognition was greater than Louisville’s.
“For millions of people around the globe, our airport is their first impression of Louisville, and I can think of no better way to introduce travelers to our community than Muhammad Ali and the values he embodied and fought for his entire life,” Kentucky Representative John Yarmuth said.
