BANGALORE: Civil Aviation Ministry has accepted a proposal to name Bengaluru International Airport (BIA) here after founder of this garden city Kempegowda.
Civil Avitaion Minister Ajit Singh has informed External Affairs Minister S M Krishna that the proposal to name BIA after Kempegowda, has been accepted by the ministry. Krishna had sent a proposal to Civil Aviation ministry that the BIA be named as Kempegowda International Airport.
Sources close to Krishna told PTI here that Singh has informed that the proposal will be brought before the next Union Cabinet for approval. Earlier similar demands were made soon after the airport become operational and there were suggestions that it be named after 12th century social reformer Basaveswara.
However, the Centre decided to retain the first green field airport built in joint venture in the city as Bengaluru International Airport. The Congress-JDS government proposal to rename 10 cities including Bangalore as Bengaluru, Hubli as Hubballi and Belgaum as Belagavi has not got the Centre's nod so far.