WASHINGTON – Louisville International Airport in the US state of Kentucky has been renamed after the city’s legendary boxer Muhammad Ali, where he was born and raised.
The Louisville Regional Airport Authority’s board voted Wednesday to change the name to Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport.
https://twitter.com/FlyLouisville/status/1085640494565244942
However, the current three-letter code – SDF – will remain the same.
The three-time world heavyweight champion died on June 4, 2016, at the age of 74 after suffering from a respiratory illness and a years-long fight with Parkinson’s disease.
According to the Courier-Journal newspaper, Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer said Ali “only had one hometown, and fortunately, that is our great city of Louisville.”
“Muhammad became one of the most well-known people to ever walk the Earth and has left a legacy of humanitarianism and athleticism that has inspired millions of people,” he added.
The decision followed a recommendation from a board working group which studied renaming the airport for more than a year.