It’s now Thoothukudi airport

Tuticorin: Civil Aviation minister Rammohan Naidu inaugurated the renaming of Tuticorin airport as Thoothukudi airport at an event at the airport on Saturday. The renaming was ordered by PM Modi as a way to reclaim Tamil culture, and reject colonial mindset, he said. "The previous name Tuticorin was a remnant of a system designed to make Indians feel subservient to an external force", he said, adding the govt aims to ‘reestablish Tamil pride and heritage it deserves.'Naidu said the new terminal building, built at Rs450 crore, caters to 20 lakh people annually. He said the runway expansion to around 3 kilometres from 1,350 metres in length can now accommodate larger cargo flights. "These upgrades contribute to the 40% increase in air cargo traffic to and from Tamil Nadu over the last decade," he said. Under Viksit Bharat 2047 project, the number of airports is expected to grow to around 350 in the next 20 years, he added. The recent upgrades will increase employment opportunities, both in the airport and outside as well, Naidu said.