Thane, March 15 The proposal to name the Navi Mumbai International Airport after the late farmer leader D B Patil will soon be presented to the Union Cabinet, Bhiwandi MP Suresh Mhatre said on Sunday.
Addressing a press conference, Mhatre claimed Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu had assured him that the proposal would be taken up at the Cabinet level at the earliest.
"The proposal to name Navi Mumbai International Airport after Loknete D.B. Patil, which has been pending for many years, will soon be presented to the Union Cabinet. Both the Central and state governments are positive about it," the MP said.
He said the demand to name the airport after the late leader has been repeatedly raised in Parliament and before the Union government.
"During our recent meeting with Civil Aviation Minister Naidu, he assured us that the proposal will be presented before the Cabinet soon. Therefore, in the coming days, the Navi Mumbai International Airport will be named after Loknete D.B. Patil," the NCP (SP) leader added.
The Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) began commercial operations on December 25, 2025, serving as the second airport for the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.
Located in Ulwe, it officially opened with domestic flights from IndiGo, Akasa Air, and Air India Express.
Addressing infrastructure issues, Mhatre said the long-pending Kalyan-Murbad railway project was also progressing.
He added that three long-distance trains on the Diva-Vasai route would soon halt at Bhiwandi Road railway station for the convenience of commuters.