The Centre is considering a proposal which allows airport terminals to be named after leaders while the airport will continue to be known by the city in which it is located.

Addressing a press conference here, Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju emphasised that though the Centre was considering this proposal, no decision had yet been taken.

“One part is terminal building the other part is the airport. The airport say in Delhi will remain Delhi International Airport although the terminal building can be named after a mahapurush ,” said Mahesh Sharma, Minister of State Civil Aviation.

Raju added that Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa had approached the Centre for changing the name of Chennai airport after MGR. “Chennai has Kamaraj’s name on it and Annadurai’s name is already there. Now Jayalalithaaji has asked for MGR’s name. Each airport (as it grows) keeps building new terminals. Any building is to honour the memory of a person. Chennai airport is Chennai of course and Kamaraj’s name will continue,” he said.

In response to a question on whether the government was considering a second airport in Delhi, Raju said, “We are expecting the IGI airport here to come to its optimum capacity by 2022-23. Then Delhi will need more airports. To my mind the more the (airports) merrier….. you can have one in Jewar….”

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