MP Varsha Gaikwad Demands Immediate Renaming Of Navi Mumbai Airport; Urges Dedicated Female Lavatories On Flights

Mumbai North Central’s Member of Parliament Varsha Gaikwad has expressed concerns over the delay in naming Navi Mumbai International Airport. In a letter to Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu, she urged the official naming of the airport as Loknete D. B. Patil International Airport, honoring the late D. B. Patil, a prominent leader with multiple achievements in Maharashtra politics.

Gaikwad emphasized Patil’s role in securing the 12.5% developed plot scheme, which benefits thousands of project-affected families in various districts. Despite the Maharashtra state legislature unanimously passing a resolution on June 29, 2022, the MP is urging the central government to expedite the approval and official notification of the name.

Separately, Gaikwad has written to the Civil Aviation Minister requesting the introduction of dedicated female lavatories on commercial flights. She pointed out that many narrow-body and regional aircraft currently have gender-neutral restrooms, causing discomfort for women, elderly passengers, pregnant women, and mothers with young children.

Gaikwad urged the minister to mandate at least one exclusively female-lavatory-equipped aircraft and to encourage aircraft operators to adopt gender-marked and upgraded sanitation facilities in their future fleet acquisitions.