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Memphis airport to be renamed in honor of Fred Smith

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority board approved a measure Thursday morning to rename the Memphis airport in honor of FedEx founder Frederick W. Smith. 'We are honored to be tasked with this well-deserved recognition for him. There are many regulatory, logistical and operational steps involved in renaming an airport, but our staff will immediately begin the process,' the airport board said in a news release. Smith died last Saturday at age 80. He was the founder of global shipping giant FedEx, whose world hub is based at the Memphis airport. The company, which is headquartered in the Memphis area, employs more than 30,000 here. 'I can't really fathom someone who has had more of an impact on a particular airport, in a particular city, than Fred Smith,' said Michael Keeney, Airport Authority chairman. Smith's company was 'absolutely, positively' instrumental into transforming the Memphis airport into one of the busiest in the world. Board member and former Memphis City Councilman Jack Sammons said decades ago, he talked to Smith about having the airport renamed after him, but got some pushback. 'He told me that … naming buildings is for dead people, and said, 'You do what you want to do when I'm gone,'' Sammons said. Years later, and now days after Smith's passing, Sammons introduced the resolution to honor Smith. The resolution to rename the airport after Fred Smith received unanimous approval and has the support of state lawmakers. The next step is to also get FAA approval. Primark to open 1st Tennessee store in Memphis' Wolfchase Galleria Smith was born in Marks, Mississippi, in 1944 and earned his degree from Yale in 1966. After four years of service in the United States Marine Corps, Smith launched FedEx operations in 1973. Memphis Mayor Paul Young said Wednesday on WREG that he supported the airport renaming. Former Mayor Jim Strickland has called Smith 'the greatest Memphian of all time.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.