Muhammad Ali's name to go on airport in US hometown

Muhammad Ali's US hometown will honour the late boxer by renaming its airport for him.

The Louisville Regional Airport Authority's board has voted to change the name to Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport. Ali would have turned 77 on Thursday. He died in 2016.

Ali's widow, Lonnie Ali, said in a news release from the board that she is proud of the name change. She said although Ali was a "global citizen'', he never forgot his Kentucky hometown

Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer cited research showing that Ali's name recognition is greater than Louisville's and said he's organising a group to work toward celebrating Ali's Louisville ties more broadly.

The airport board said the decision came after a working group studied renaming the airport for more than a year.