Uttar Pradesh wants to name Delhi's new second airport after Narendra Modi, while he's still in office

Delhi's brand-new second airport may soon carry the name of the man who opened it, while he is still in office. On Oct. 9, Uttar Pradesh's state Cabinet approved a proposal to rename Noida International Airport at Jewar as "Narendra Modi International Airport, Noida-Jewar."

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced the decision after the Cabinet meeting. "The Council of Ministers of Uttar Pradesh expresses its gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for gifting the state the Noida International Airport at Jewar," he said, according to the public broadcaster DD India. He posted the news on X the same day. By Oct. 11, that post had more than 1 million views, about 20,900 likes and more than 2,300 replies.

Why now

The timing is tied to a milestone. The same Cabinet passed a resolution congratulating Modi on 25 years as the head of a government, a mark it said he reached on Oct. 7. His run began as chief minister of Gujarat in 2001.

The airport is also very new. Modi laid its foundation stone on Nov. 25, 2021. He opened Phase I on March 28, 2026, and commercial flights began on June 15, according to DD India. It was built as a public-private partnership between the state government and Zurich Airport International AG. It is meant to be the second international airport for the Delhi region, after Indira Gandhi International.

It is not a done deal

A state Cabinet vote does not rename an airport on its own. In India, the final call belongs to the national government in New Delhi.

The process was spelled out by two civil aviation ministers in Parliament, in 2020 and 2021, as The Indian Express explains. A state sends a recommendation, backed by a resolution of its legislative assembly. The Union Cabinet then decides. If it agrees, the new name is published in the Gazette of India. Until that happens, the airport keeps its current name.

Given who leads the Union Cabinet, approval would put Modi in the odd spot of signing off on an airport named after himself. The national government has not said what it will do.

The case against naming airports after people

Airports named after leaders are common in India. Delhi's is named for Indira Gandhi. Hyderabad's is named for Rajiv Gandhi. Lucknow, Varanasi and Ahmedabad all honor national figures. What is rare, The Indian Express notes, is naming one after a sitting or living leader. The closest recent example is the cricket stadium in Ahmedabad, renamed Narendra Modi Stadium in 2021.

There is also India's own past guidance. In 2017, then-Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha told Parliament that a "consensus view" had formed. New airports would be named after the cities they serve. Terminals would be named after eminent people, to honor their memory. He said the idea was to help passengers, especially foreign tourists who don't know local history.

We think that guidance was right, and this proposal shows why. A traveler booking a flight to "Noida" or "Jewar" can find this airport on a map. A name built around a person tells a visitor nothing about where they are landing. The proposed name does keep "Noida-Jewar" at the end. But long official names get shortened, and the person's name is often the part that sticks. Ask anyone in Delhi about "IGI."

Replies to the chief minister's post split along familiar lines. Some welcomed the tribute. Others said public airports should honor freedom fighters or the city itself.

What changes for travelers

For now, nothing. Your ticket, your boarding pass and the signs at the terminal all say Noida International Airport. If the new name is approved, expect new signage and branding. Airport codes usually stay the same after a rename. Mumbai kept BOM after its airport was renamed for Chhatrapati Shivaji.

If you're flying from the new airport, there is one lounge to know about. The airport's lounge page says it sits after security on Level 0, near the boarding area. It offers light meals, drinks, Wi-Fi and charging points. Entry is through airline memberships, partner programs or a pay-per-use fee. The airport doesn't name the operator or say which card programs are accepted, so check your membership before you go. Lounge Frog doesn't list this lounge yet. If you've visited, we'd like your rating.

We will update this story if the Union Cabinet acts on the proposal.