Over a month after the Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced to name the Chandigarh airport after martyr Bhagat Singh as a tribute, the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) has issued the notification renaming the Chandigarh International Airport as ‘Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport’.

Notably, the Prime Minister on September 25 had announced that the Chandigarh airport will be renamed after Bhagat Singh as a tribute to the freedom fighter. His 115th birth anniversary was celebrated on September 28, and on the same day, it was announced that the Chandigarh Airport has been renamed after Bhagat Singh.

“It is notified that the Chandigarh International Airport in Chandigarh is named as ‘Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport, Chandigarh’ with immediate effect,” read the notification dated November 2, issued by the Union Ministry.

The development came days after the Punjab Government had urged the Centre to include the name of Mohali city in the recently-inaugurated ‘Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport, Chandigarh’, as the terminal has been constructed on “land falling in revenue district of SAS Nagar, Mohali”.

Strongly presenting the state’s case during an interactive session held with the States and UTs on Udan, KrishiUdan, Aviation Security, Developments of Airports, Greenfield Airports, Heliports and Water Aerodromes on October 17, the state Principal Secretary (Civil Aviation) Rahul Bhandari had bemoaned that the name of Mohali city is unfortunately missing from the International Airport’s name.

Bhandari had apprised the Centre that Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has already lodged a protest for not including the name of Mohali city in the name of the Airport. “This legitimate demand should be looked into,” he had said, adding that this will fulfil the long pending demand of the Punjabis.

Notably, to name or rename the airports, an elaborate process is followed; and the final approval has to come from the Union Cabinet. Generally, airports are known by the name of the city where they are located. In some cases, a specific name is proposed by the respective state government supported by a resolution passed in the state legislative assembly concerned. The same is then sent to the Union Cabinet for the final approval.