Activists, local leaders demand renaming Navi Mumbai airport after D B Patil as operations begin

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As Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) becomes operational on Thursday, the demand to name the newly built airport after late local leader, activist and politician D B Patil is finding new momentum.

As reported by news agency PTI, the NMIA commenced commercial flight operations on Thursday with the first flight from Bengaluru, operated by IndiGo, touching down on the runway at 8 am.

Former Member of Parliament Sanjeev Naik on Thursday expressed happiness over the commencement of operations at the Navi Mumbai International Airport.

While talking to the media on Thursday, he said, "It is a matter of great happiness. When I became an MP, a huge struggle was carried out in Parliament to ensure that Navi Mumbai gets its own international airport. It took nearly 15 years of waiting to witness this day... The airport is not just for Navi Mumbai; it will contribute to the growth of the entire country," as cited by news agency PTI.

Ex-Member of Parliament Sanjeev Naik also thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis for the launch of the facility; he said that the airport should be named after the late D. B. Patil.

Naik emphasised that, "It is the wish of all Navi Mumbaikars that this airport should bear the name of D B Patil Saheb. To express this sentiment, we travelled on the first flight. Had the airport been named after him today, our happiness would have been doubled," as per PTI.

Family members of D B Patil, who were present at the airport to welcome the passengers, echoed similar feelings. While expressing happiness over the airport's inauguration, they said they hope the issue of the airport's name will be resolved soon.

Dinkar Balu Patil, popularly known as D. B. Patil, who served as an MP and MLA, died in 2013. He is known to have played a key role in shaping the development of Navi Mumbai and championed the rights of those displaced by land acquisition.

NMIA's first commercial flight received a water salute

The aircraft was accorded a ceremonial water cannon salute on arrival, a time-honoured aviation tradition marking NMIA's first commercial touchdown and departure, the airport operator said in a statement.

The inaugural arrival was followed by the airport's first departure, IndiGo flight 6E882 to Hyderabad at 08:40 am, completing NMIA's inaugural arrival and departure cycle.

In the first month, NMIA will operate for 12 hours -- between 08:00 hours and 20:00 hours -- handling 23 scheduled daily departures. During this period, the airport will manage up to 10 flight movements per hour.