Arunachal’s new airport name 'Donyi Polo Airport' approved by Union Cabinet

The Union Cabinet on November 2 accepted the proposal to name the new airport in Arunachal Pradesh 'Donyi Polo Airport, Itanagar.'

The Airports Authority of India (AAI) is developing a greenfield airport in Itanagar with the cooperation of the Centre and the state government at a cost of Rs 646 crore.

The Cabinet, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, authorized the designation of the greenfield airport as 'Donyi Polo Airport, Itanagar,' according to an official announcement.

The Arunachal Pradesh government issued a resolution naming the airport 'Donyi Polo Airport, Itanagar.'

It reflects the people's veneration for the Sun (Donyi) and the Moon (Polo) to signify the state's traditions and rich cultural history," according to the statement.

In January 2019, the federal government approved the airport's development 'in principle.'

According to statistics on the civil aviation ministry's website, the country now has 131 operating airports.

Earlier on October 29, the Hollongi Indigenous Peoples Forum (HIPF) has demanded the Arunachal Pradesh state government to rename the Donyi Polo Airport near Itanagar.

Notably, the HIPF has been demanding to exclude the word Itanagar from Donyi Polo Airport and rename it as Donyi Polo Airport, Hollongi.