Thane, Feb 3 (PTI) Maharashtra forests minister Ganesh Naik said on Monday that the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport will be named after the late D B Patil, the leader of project-affected persons.

Naik addressed a janta darbar (public hearing) in Vashi.

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"During the event, Atul Patil, son of D B Patil, met Naik to request the naming of the Navi Mumbai International Airport after his father. Responding to the request, Naik assured that once commercial operations commence, the airport will be officially named after D B Patil," a release stated.

Naik said the demands of project-affected persons (PAPs) requesting freehold status for LIG and MIG lands along with uniform land regularisation rates will be raised with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

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The work on the greenfield Navi Mumbai International Airport started in February 2018, and in 2022, the then Maha Vikas Aghadi government decided to name it “Loknete Swargiya DB Patil International Airport”.

A senior Adani Airports Holding Ltd (AAHL) executive last month said the airport is expected to be inaugurated on April 17, 2025. The operations will start in the second week of May.

The airport conducted a commercial flight test last December with an IndiGo A320 passenger aircraft landing successfully at runway 08/26, officials had said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)