The Centre on Wednesday decided to rename the Bangalore International Airport as Kempegowda International Airport to fulfil the long-pending demand of the people of Karnataka.
The meeting of the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh here decided to act on the resolution passed in the Karnataka Legislature recommending the renaming of the airport.
Kempegowda was a ruler of the Vijayanagar Empire, which covered most parts of Karnataka during the 16th century. He had the vision of building the city and is regarded as the founder of Bangalore.
Kempegowda built the Bangalore Fort and moved his capital from Yelahanka to Bangalore during his regime, according to an official release.
BJP general secretary Ananth Kumar welcomed the decision and said a booklet on Kempegowda would be distributed to passengers flying in and out of Bangalore.
The Bangalore International Airport, the premier greenfield airport in South India, is the fifth busiest airport in the country.
It became operational in 2008 and is owned and operated by Bangalore International Airport Ltd (BIAL) in which KSSIDC, Airports Authority of India, GVK Group, Siemens and Zurich Airport are shareholders.