After PMO nod, it's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport now

The slot-constrained Mumbai airport will soon be called Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport. 

The Prime Ministers' Office approved the addition of the honorific "Maharaj" in the airport's name following a resolution from the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly and protests from Shiv Sena, BJP's alliance partner in the state and at the Centre.  

"Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport is now Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport. Congratulations to the people of Maharashtra, the long pending demand is now fulfilled. I thank PM @narendramodi ji for the concern towards the sentiments of the people of Maharashtra," Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu tweeted on Thursday.  

The government is yet to issue a formal notification to announce the name change. Mumbai airport was renamed as Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport during late prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's tenure in the late 1990s.

Mumbai airport, which used to be the busiest airport in the country, lost the tag to Delhi a few years ago. It handled 48.5 million passengers in FY18 but traffic growth was restrained. While domestic traffic grew around 20 per cent, Mumbai airport's traffic rose only around 7.4 per cent due to slot constraints and limited scope for additional capacity expansion.   

Mumbai's iconic railway terminus was rechristened last July following a similar decision by the Maharashtra government. The Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus was renamed as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus.