CHENNAI: Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting and Parliamentary Affairs L Murugan on Monday said he had formally urged the Centre to rename Tuticorin Airport as Thoothukudi Airport, aligning the facility with the official Tamil name of the historic port city.

In a statement, Murugan said the demand was raised during his meeting with Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu, during which he also reviewed the status of aviation infrastructure projects in Tamil Nadu. He said the request reflected a long-standing public sentiment and was in tune with the Centre's emphasis on promoting Indian languages and regional identity.

Highlighting the Union government's record, Murugan said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India's aviation sector had witnessed rapid expansion over the past 11 years, with a strong focus on strengthening airport infrastructure across the country. In Tamil Nadu, he said, major expansion works were under way at Chennai, Coimbatore and Thoothukudi airports, while Tiruchirapalli and Madurai airports had already been upgraded to improve passenger capacity and amenities.

During the meeting, Murugan also sought early completion of the ongoing expansion works at Coimbatore airport, additional passenger facilities at Chennai airport, and an increase in flight connectivity from Thoothukudi to other cities.

Renaming the airport as Thoothukudi, he said, would honour the city's rich maritime and cultural legacy and mark a conscious move away from anglicised nomenclature, while reinforcing pride in indigenous languages. He expressed confidence that the Union government would consider the request positively.