Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru (MS)

Mangaluru, Jan 5: Though many years have passed since the demand for a suitable name that befits the culture of the coastal region, to the international airport in the city was raised by the public, the state government has not yet sent the proposal to the union government to effect the change.

Surprisingly, even the district administration has not sent an official proposal to the state government. Various organizations have proposed names like Veera Rani Abbakka, U Srinivasa Mallya, Kotichennaya, Brahmashree Narayana Guru and Kamaladevi Chattopadhyaya for renaming the airport. In November 2020, when Adani group took over the operations of the airport, it was renamed as Adani airport. However, when the public raised an objection, the name was reverted back to Mangaluru International Airport.

Malavoor gram panchayat, under which the airport falls, decided to rename the airport as Kotichennaya in 2016 itself. MLA Umanatha Kotian and Harish Kumar of Congress had brought this matter up in legislative assembly and council respectively. But there is no progress.

In 2020, there was a proposal submitted to the state government to rename the airports of Mangaluru, Hubballi, Mysuru, Belagavi and Kalaburagi. However, the final decision on this matter is still not yet taken.

Though many have written letters to rename the airport, none of it has gone to the state government in the form of a proposal. In 2014, when U T Khader was the minister, he had promised to rename the airport after Veera Rani Abbakka.

Interested sponsors or organizers should send a letter to the chief of the airport giving the reason for the need to change the existing name and also the new name. Then the same will be sent to the state government, which in turn will go to the union aviation ministry to effect necessary change. This will be decided by the aviation ministry. Sometimes, the union government itself will change the name. The airport will be given a new name that is accepted by the centre.