Fan Petition Appears After Ozzy Osbourne's Rejection Becomes The Name Of Birmingham Airport

Ozzy Osbourne (Photo: Instagram @ozzyosbourne)

JAKARTA - The efforts of fans to change the name of Birmingham Airport under the name of the late Ozzy Osbourne are confirmed to have run aground after the airport CEO firmly rejected the proposal, even though public support continues to flow rapidly.

Meanwhile, a change in airport names emerged after Ozzy's death on July 22 17 days after his last concert with Black Sabbath in Birmingham.

Departing from this sentiment, fans urged Birmingham Airport to change its name in honor of the heavy metal pioneer.

However, that hope was extinguished by Birmingham Airport CEO Nick Barton, who said that maintaining the current name was invaluable for future airport development.

"Birmingham, remarkably, has a list of very influential people, ranging from historical figures like Charles Darwin, as well as Robert Plant and Sir Lenny Henry, but the answer is no," Barton said, quoted by the BBC, Sunday, December 7.

"It is very important for our future development of what we have, which is a fantastic airport, but it still has to grow significantly, which we will do thanks to its name," he continued.

Despite refusing a name change, Barton confirmed that progress was being made for a different project aimed at respecting Ozzy's legacy at the airport.

"This will be a mural confession for Ozzy and other great figures in this area," he said.

Even so, Dan Hudson, one of the hosts of the podcast A Gay And A Nongay, still supports Birmingham International Airport to change its name in honor of the musician named Prince of Darkness.

Through a petition, Hudson emphasized that he would continue to encourage the change of name at Birmingham airport.

"Ozzy Osbourne is the most important musician ever born to Birmingham," Hudson wrote in his petition.

"Ozzy's influence on music and culture cannot be denied. The naming of our international airport with its name will be a viable tribute to his extraordinary career and his contribution to art."

The petition has collected nearly 77,000 signatures and has the support of the Ozzy family.

In addition, Ozzy's daughter, Kelly Osbourne, in a recent speech received by Birmingham Lord Mayor's Award, stressed her father's pride in her hometown.

"The thing my father is most proud of is that he is a Brummie (as the people of Birmingham), and Birmingham has made him proud," Kelly said.

He also said that naming Birmingham airport with his father's name would be an extraordinary award for Ozzy and his legacy.

Kelly considered it very appropriate, because Birmingham was the one who formed Ozzy, and vice versa.