Sir Sean Connery fans calls for Edinburgh Airport to be renamed after late actor

Sean Connery death
PA

A campaign has been launched to rename Edinburgh airport after the late Sir Sean Connery.

Sir Sean - the first actor to bring James Bond to life on film in 1962’s Dr No - passed away last weekend. 

The Edinburgh-born actor died surrounded by his family in the Bahamas. He has been battling dementia for a number of years. 

Now a campaign has been launched to have Edinburgh Airport named after him. 

Connery with Claudine Auger
AFP via Getty Images

Andrew Morton  started a petition to Global Infrastructure Partners, which owns the airport, calling on them to consider the change. 

The petition - which has been signed almost 1,000 times - reads: “Liverpool has John Lennon airport, Belfast has George Best airport and with the death of one of her most famous sons Edinburgh should have a Sir Sean Connery airport.”

The news of Sir Sean’s passing was revealed on Saturday. His son Jason told the BBC his father died peacefully in his sleep overnight while in the Bahamas, having been “unwell for some time”.

Jason Connery said his father “had many of his family who could be in the Bahamas around him” when he died.

He said: “We are all working at understanding this huge event as it only happened so recently, even though my dad has been unwell for some time.

“A sad day for all who knew and loved my dad and a sad loss for all people around the world who enjoyed the wonderful gift he had as an actor.”

The family added: "There will be a private ceremony followed by a memorial yet to be planned once the virus has ended."

Sir Sean was the first actor to bring the role of James Bond to the big screen and was followed by the likes of Roger Moore, Daniel Craig and Pierce Brosnan. All of the Bond stars paid tribute to the star in wake of his death.

He was widely regarded as the best Bond in history and regularly topped cinematic polls.

He appeared in seven of the spy thrillers - six plus the unofficial Never Say Never Again in 1983 -including From Russia with Love and Goldfinger.  

Connery, from Fountainbridge in Edinburgh, was heavily acclaimed during his career. His awards included an Oscar, two Bafta awards and three Golden Globes during his five-decades in showbusiness.

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