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More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed. Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard. Digital Editor<doc-sep>Union Minister for Civil Aviation Suresh Prabhu on Thursday announced that Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport has been renamed Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport. Prabhu congratulated the people of Maharashtra for the “fulfilment of their long-pending demand” and thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi. On December 8, the Maharashtra Cabinet decided to change the name of the airport and the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, adding “Maharaj” to both. The Bharatiya Janata Party-led state government said the Maratha warrior deserves more respect. The airport was earlier known as the Sahar International Airport while the railway station – a Unesco Heritage Site – was called Victoria Terminus. They were renamed in 1995 after the Bharatiya Janata Party-Shiv Sena alliance came to power in the state. In 2016, the BJP government in Haryana renamed Gurgaon, which became Gurugram, and changed the name of Mewat to Nuh.<doc-sep>Mumbai airport | Photo Credit: BCCL Mumbai: From Thursday onwards, the Mumbai Airport will be known as the Chhatrapati Shivaji ‘Maharaj’ International Airport. Union Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu on Thursday confirmed that the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport has been rechristened as Chhatrapati Shivaji ‘Maharaj’ International Airport. This move comes almost two years after Maharashtra Assembly passed a resolution regarding the addition of the word ‘Maharaj’ in the name. In a tweet, the Union Civil Aviation Minister said, “Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport is now Chhatrapati Shivaji ‘Maharaj’ International Airport. Congratulations to the people of Maharashtra, the long pending demand is now fulfilled. I thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji for the concern towards the sentiments of the people of Maharashtra.” Almost two years ago, the Maharashtra government had decided to add the word Maharaj’ to the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport and the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus. Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport is now Chhatrapati Shivaji ‘Maharaj’ International Airport. Congratulations to the people of Maharashtra,the long pending demand is now fulfilled.I thank PM @narendramodi ji for the concern towards the sentiments of the ppl of Maharashtra — Suresh Prabhu (@sureshpprabhu) August 30, 2018 The decision was reportedly taken by the government as it believed that the Maratha warrior king, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, should be paid more respect. Following this, the state Assembly passed a proposal for the same and forwarded it to the Centre in December 2016. Even as the then Railway Minister promptly made the change in the name, the proposal to change the airport’s name was still pending. As per the Indian Express, the addition of the word ‘Maharaja’ in the name was requested by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Sambhaji Raje Chhatrapati. He is the 13th descendant of Maratha warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji. The Mumbai Airport was first known as the Sahar International Airport. However, the name was changed in 1999 to Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport. The recent change in the name means that the airport authorities would have to inform the International Air Transport Association (IATA) about the same. All signboards on the airport premises will also have to be changed as per the latest change. Besides that, the civic authorities would also need to change the signboards on the road thatb point towards the way to the international airport.<doc-sep>What’s in a name? In this case, seven more characters. Chhatrapti Shivaji International Airport Mumbai will soon be known as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport Mumbai. On Thursday, the Union government formally approved a request from the Maharashtra government to add ‘Maharaj’ to the name. Welcome to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport A demand to add the honorific was first made in 2016 by BJP MP Sambhaji Raje Chhtrapati, a descendant of the Maratha warrior king. Following that, the Maharashtra assembly passed a resolution to rename the airport and the railway station—then called Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST). The argument was that the state hero deserved greater respect. While CST became CSTM soon after, the proposal to rename Mumbai’s international airport was pending. On Friday, Suresh Prabhu, Union Minister for Civil Aviation, announced that the government had approved the renaming, though a formal notification is pending. Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport is now Chhatrapati Shivaji ‘Maharaj’ International Airport. Congratulations to the people of Maharashtra,the long pending demand is now fulfilled.I thank PM @narendramodi ji for the concern towards the sentiments of the ppl of Maharashtra — Suresh Prabhu (@sureshpprabhu) August 30, 2018 Change of name? NBD For one, the airport is no stranger to change of names. Mumbai’s international airport was born as a combat airstrip during World War II. Built to serve bombers of the Royal Air Force, it was known as RAF Santacruz when it came to life in the 1930s. Post-independence, it came to be known as Bombay International Airport. For two decades, the airport had a single terminal, the one at Santacruz (which now operates as CSIA Terminal 1). Then, as jumbo-jets took over the skies in the 1970s, the airport started bursting at its seams. In the 1970s, international operations moved to the newly-built terminal near Sahar village in Andheri. That terminal was referred to as Sahar International Airport, while the original Bombay Airport came to be known as Santacruz Airport. In 2006, the airport was privatised and the two terminals were collectively referred to as Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport Mumbai, also reflecting the city’s new name. So what changes? The new name will affect most communication about the airport. The airport’s website currently rests at https://csia.in. Will that change? And what about the social media handles? While the airport’s IATA code (BOM) and ICAO code (VABB) are unlikely to change, all announcements and signages inside and around the airport will have to make room for the “Maharaj”. But when has space been an issue in Mumbai?<doc-sep>
Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport has finally been rechristened as Chhatrapati Shivaji ‘Maharaj’ International Airport. (File) Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport has finally been rechristened as Chhatrapati Shivaji ‘Maharaj’ International Airport. (File) Nearly two years after a resolution was passed in the Maharashtra Assembly, Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport has finally been rechristened as Chhatrapati Shivaji ‘Maharaj’ International Airport. Confirming the development, Union Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu on Thursday said the long-pending demand of the state had been fulfilled. “Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport is now Chhatrapati Shivaji ‘Maharaj’ International Airport. Congratulations to the people of Maharashtra, the long pending demand is now fulfilled. I thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji for the concern towards the sentiments of the people of Maharashtra,” Prabhu tweeted. Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport is now Chhatrapati Shivaji ‘Maharaj’ International Airport. Congratulations to the people of Maharashtra,the long pending demand is now fulfilled.I thank PM @narendramodi ji for the concern towards the sentiments of the ppl of Maharashtra — Suresh Prabhu (@sureshpprabhu) August 30, 2018 The Maharashtra government on December 8 decided to insert the word ‘Maharaj’ to the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport and the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus as it felt the Maratha warrior king deserved to be paid more respect. A proposal was passed in the Assembly and forwarded to the Centre in December 2016. While the change was immediately made by the then Railway Minister, the change in airport name had been pending. The request to add the word ‘Maharaj’ was made by Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) MP Sambhaji Raje Chhatrapati, who is also the 13th descendant of Maratha warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji. Mumbai’s airport was formerly known as Sahar International Airport. It was renamed as Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport in 1999. The airport’s renaming will mean that airport authorities will have to make a lot of changes, from informing the International Air Transport Association (IATA) to changing all the boards on the airport premises. The civic authorities will also have to change the signage on the city roads that lead to the international airport.