Chennai, March 15 (NationPress) The Indian government has given the green light to change the name of Tamil Nadu's Tuticorin Airport to "Thoothukudi Airport", as announced by Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu on Sunday.

This decision stems from long-standing appeals by local inhabitants, public officials, and cultural associations advocating for the restoration of the city's original Tamil name in official aviation documentation.

Situated at Vagaikulam in Thoothukudi district in southern Tamil Nadu, the airport was inaugurated in 1992 and has been commonly recognized as Tuticorin Airport.

The term “Tuticorin” emerged during colonial rule, evolving into the standard English designation for the city in official documents and international contexts.

Over time, various community groups and civic organizations have contended that the airport's English name should accurately reflect the proper Tamil pronunciation and spelling of the city—Thoothukudi—which is the officially acknowledged name in Tamil Nadu.

They emphasized that the colonial-era spelling fails to represent the region's linguistic and cultural essence.

Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting and Parliamentary Affairs L. Murugan, along with other elected officials from Tamil Nadu, previously submitted formal requests to the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation advocating for the name change. This proposal garnered support from local leaders, trade unions, and residents who believed that the renaming would strengthen the region’s cultural heritage.

With the Centre’s endorsement, the airport will now be officially recognized as Thoothukudi Airport in all national and international aviation records, including documentation maintained by aviation authorities and airlines.

Community members and stakeholders in the district have embraced this decision, viewing it as a significant step toward reclaiming the city’s historical and linguistic identity.

Many noted that similar adjustments to place names have been executed across India in recent decades, replacing colonial spellings with indigenous names.

Thoothukudi is a vital industrial and port city in southern Tamil Nadu, celebrated for its bustling port, salt production, thermal power plants, and developing industrial infrastructure, playing a key role in the region's economic progress.

With robust connectivity through air, sea, rail, and road networks, the district continues to experience rapid growth in trade, industry, and logistics. Officials believe that renaming the airport will further enhance the city’s identity as a crucial gateway to southern Tamil Nadu, aligning its international recognition with its original Tamil name.