Mumbai: Maharashtra government on Thursday approved renaming the airport at Aurangabad as Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj Airport. 

Sambhaji Maharaj was the son of Maratha warrior king Chhtrapati Shivaji Maharaj. 

The decision was taken at a meeting of the state cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, an official said. 

Industries Minister Subhash Desai, who belongs to Thackeray's Shiv Sena party, said the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance of the Sena, Congress and NCP is committed to fulfilling the promises made to the people of the state.

The airport is situated in Chikhalthana area of Aurangabad. 

Thackeray said the Aurangabad Municipal Corporation had passed a resolution to rename the airport after Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj. 

The issue had figured in the Lok Sabha as well.
 
The cabinet decision will be sent to the Union civil aviation ministry for approval, he said. 

Mumbai airport had been named as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Airport while Kolhapur airport was named after Chhatrapati Rajaram Maharaj.