The Maharashtra government had proposed to rename the Navi Mumbai International Airport as ‘Lokneta D B Patil Navi Mumbai International Airport’. File
| Photo Credit: Reuters
The Supreme Court on Tuesday (May 19, 2026) refused to entertain a plea seeking direction to the Centre to take a time-bound decision on the Maharashtra government’s proposal regarding the renaming of the Navi Mumbai International Airport.
The Maharashtra government had proposed to rename the Navi Mumbai International Airport as ‘Lokneta D B Patil Navi Mumbai International Airport’.
“This will amount to indulging in policy making,” a bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi told the counsel appearing for the petitioner organisation ‘Prakashjhot Samajik Sanstha’.
The Bench said it was not inclined to entertain the plea challenging a November 2025 order of the Bombay High Court, which had dismissed the petition.
The Bench granted liberty to the petitioner to pursue the case before the competent authority.
“Is it the function of the court that what should be the name of an airport?” the Bench observed.
Published – May 19, 2026 12:58 pm IST
