The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) has appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to declare the anniversary of industrialist Jehangir Ratanji Dadabhoy (JRD) Tata’s first flight (October 15, 1932) as National Aviation Day and name the next major airport in his honor, according to news reports. This comes on the heels of the country’s flag carrier Air India transiting to a Tata enterprise (see "Tatas on board Maharaja,” Business, Parsiana, February 7-20, 2022).
J. R. D. Tata: pioneer aviator
FIP president Capt Surinder Mehta wrote that "The late Bharat Ratna (and honorary) Air Vice Marshal J. R. D. Tata is considered the father of civil aviation in India as it was his first flight (on) October 15, 1932 which heralded the dawn of airmail services in our country… It would be only appropriate that October 15 be declared as the National Aviation Day of India,” reported indiatoday.in on January 28. "We … have a rich aviation heritage of which we are justifiably proud and now it is time that India too starts celebrating our own National Aviation Day,” noted a letter in The Times of India (ToI) on January 28. The appeal stated that "it would be appropriate to declare it this year” as India will be celebrating the 90th anniversary of the first commercial flight in the country — Tata’s in 1932, from Karachi to Bombay.
In the USA, August 19 is celebrated as National Aviation Day, to commemorate the birthday of Orville Wright, the first to accomplish powered flight.
Mehta’s letter states that it is common practice to name airports after aviators and lists 15 airports from around the world that carry such names — from Wilbur Wright (Dayton, USA) to O’Hare (Chicago, USA) to Amelia Earhart (Kansas, USA) to Sabiha Gocken (Istanbul, Turkey, after their first woman combat pilot).
Piloo Tata, whose husband Minocher’s grandmother was a sibling of Tata Group founder Jamsetji Tata told ToI in June 2021, "In memory of this undisputed pioneer of civil aviation in India (JRD), and in appreciation of the international passenger airline he started, I appeal to all the authorities concerned to name the new airport at New Bombay the J. R. D. Tata International Airport… I cannot think of any other name which would be more appropriate” (see "Naming an airport,” Events and Personalities, Parsiana, July 7-20, 2021). Meanwhile, a petition on change.org to name the under-construction New Bombay Airport after Tata initiated by one Rustom Doctor has garnered over 95,900 signatures. Yet another initiated by Armin Dutia Motashaw has the support of over 53,500 co-petitioners. F. J.