The upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport is renamed DB Patil International Airport in honor of late Dinkar Balu Patil, famous as DB Patil, who is a former Peasants and Workers Party leader.
The State Cabinet of Maharashtra chaired by CM Uddhav Thackery has approved the airport renaming as proposed by Congress, ruling out an earlier proposition that suggested this new airport be renamed after Bal Thackeray, the founder of the Shiv Sena Party.
New names were also given to Aurangabad and Osmanabad besides the Navi Mumbai Airport. The historical city of Aurangabad, one of the top tourist attractions in India famous for its UNESCO heritage sites like Ajantha and Ellora Caves, will now be known as Sambhaji Nagar and Osmanabad will be called Dharashiv henceforth.
About Navi Mumbai International Airport:
The upcoming airport in Navi Mumbai, now DB Patil International Airport, will be the second international airport in Mumbai Metropolitan Region, besides the main Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (BOM). It is said to be one of the largest greenfield airport projects in the world. It is being built in Panvel City of Raigad district with 2 runways, 3 state-of-the-art terminals, and a cargo terminal. Once operational (supposedly by December 2024), this airport is expected to ease congestion at Mumbai Airport, which is the second-busiest international airport in India. After the first phase of its construction, the airport will be able to handle 10 million passengers per year. Its passenger handling capacity would gradually be expanded to over 90 million passengers annually.
