Cowards: Birmingham Airport Won’t Be Renamed After OZZY OSBOURNE

Two days after the death of Ozzy Osbourne on Tuesday, July 22, fans immediately launched a petition for Birmingham International Airport to be renamed in honor of the legendary frontman — proposing it become Ozzy Osbourne International Airport. The petition is closing in on 77,000 signatures, but unfortunately the airport will not be renamed.

According to Birmingham International Airport CEO Nick Barton in an interview with BBC Radio WM, there are simply too many great people from Birmingham and a name change would screw up the airport’s future.

“Birmingham, amazingly, has an extraordinary list of fantastically influential people, going from historic people like Charles Darwin, as well as Robert Plant and Sir Lenny Henry but the answer is no,” said Barton. “The airport name is so important for our future development of what we’ve got, which is a fantastic airport, but yet to grow significantly, which we will do on the back of its name.”

Barton later added in the same interview that the airport will honor Osbourne with “a mural recognition of Ozzy and other greats in the area.” Which is noticeably not naming the airport Ozzy Osbourne Airport: The Coolest Fucking Airport You’ve Ever Been To.

The campaign to change the airport name was started by Dan Hudson, co-host of the podcast A Gay And A Nongay and a dedicated metalhead. Hudson’s petition aims to pay tribute to Osbourne‘s towering legacy and his deep-rooted connection to Birmingham, where he grew up in the Aston neighborhood and co-founded Black Sabbath.

“Ozzy Osbourne was the most important musician ever to hail from Birmingham. He rose to fame as the lead vocalist of the pioneering rock band Black Sabbath, who invented the genre of heavy metal,” wrote Hudson. “Ozzy‘s influence on music and culture is undeniable. Naming our international airport after him would be a fitting tribute to his extraordinary career and contributions to the arts.

“Other airports in the UK are named after their famous children (George Best International Airport in Belfast, John Lennon Airport in Liverpool) so it is only right that we do this here in Birmingham, in honour of Ozzy. Together, we can celebrate the legacy of Ozzy Osbourne and the incredible influence our city has had on the world stage, thanks to him.”