NCP leader wants Navi Mumbai airport to be named after Ajit Pawar; set to meet CM Fadnavis

Mumbai, Feb 28 (PTI) NCP leader Suraj Chavan on Saturday said he will meet Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to demand that Navi Mumbai International Airport be named after Ajit Pawar.

Pawar died in a plane crash in Baramati in Pune district on January 28.

In a post on X, Chavan said he will urge the CM to pursue the aircraft accident case with central investigating agencies and make public the details of the probe to ensure transparency and accountability.

Naming the Navi Mumbai airport after Pawar would be a fitting recognition of his contribution to Maharashtra's development, he said.

A clear update on the crash investigation is necessary to maintain public trust, Chavan added.

There is already a proposal to name the Navi Mumbai airport after DB Patil.

Aircraft accident probe agency AAIB on Saturday released the preliminary report on the January 28 plane crash. It said visibility at the time of the crash was below the required level.

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau flagged fading marks on the runway and presence of loose gravel on the runway surface at Baramati. It recommended regulator DGCA to ensure stakeholders' maintain safety standards at uncontrolled airfields. PTI MR BNM