Boxer Muhammad Ali will soon have an airport named after him in his hometown of Louisville, KY.
After a 2016 petition for the Louisville International Airport to be named after the boxer, it was announced by city officials Wednesday that the airport would in fact be named in his honor. “It is important that we, as a city, further champion the Champ’s legacy,” Mayor Greg Fischer said during his announcement of the airport’s name change.
Ali is known around the world for his athleticism and humanitarianism but, while many know what he did during his lifetime not many knew where he was from.
Not only will the name change help to continue his legacy, the change is also expected to bring more traffic into the city. “We felt a clear takeaway was that the profile of our city could be greatly enhanced by associating Ali’s name with our airport,” Dale Boden, Louisville Reginal Airport Authority board member said when asked about the decision to change the name.
The official name of the airport will be Louisville International Airport after everything is finalized.
Locals are excited and proud about the airports new name and even his widow, Lonnie Ali had this to say about the boxer having an airport named after him in his hometown, “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 was a global citizen, but he never forgot the city that gave him his start. It is a fitting testament to his legacy.”
By: Latayla Branson