Birmingham Airport CEO says name will not be changed in memory of Ozzy Osbourne, despite petition nearing 80,000 signatures

The CEO of Birmingham Airport has shot down the notion that its name will be changed in honour of Ozzy Osbourne.

Following the Prince Of Darkness’s death in July, a Change.org petition was put together with the goal of rebranding the airport as ‘Ozzy Osbourne International’. It currently has 76,700 signatures and has been endorsed by the Osbourne family, with Ozzy’s daughter Kelly saying as recently as Wednesday (December 3) that the name change would be an “incredible tribute to him and the legacy that he has left behind”.

However, talking to BBC West Midlands on December 4, Birmingham Airport CEO Nick Barton rules out the idea, saying that the current name is “incredibly valuable for development”.

He explains: “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.”

He adds that there will be some recognition of Ozzy at the airport, though, with plans for a mural to the Black Sabbath singer and “other greats in the area” being in place.

A recent statement from Birmingham Airport said of the proposed mural: “We know [Ozzy] was an inspiration to so many in our region proving talent, hard work and commitment can take you to all corners of the world and we are committed to honouring his legacy within our terminal space.”

Despite the hard no from the airport CEO, petition organiser Dan Hudson remains undeterred, telling the BBC that his campaign “continues to go from strength to strength”.

Ozzy died on July 22 at the age of 76, after suffering a heart attack at his home in Buckinghamshire. The singer was born in Aston, Birmingham, and spoke frequently about his working-class roots in the city. 17 days before his death, the original lineup of Black Sabbath held their retirement show in Aston, at the Villa Park football stadium, with the concert being promoted as Back To The Beginning.

News of Ozzy’s death was met with widespread mourning, especially in Birmingham. Numerous murals and tributes were put together by locals, and on July 30, his cortège passed through the city en route to a private funeral at his home. Tens of thousands of fans turned up to witness the procession and pay their respects.