Overview

• BJP MP Bhim Singh told the Rajya Sabha that the code “GAY” for Gaya International Airport is socially and culturally offensive.
• Minister Murlidhar Mohol explained in a written reply that IATA Resolution 763 deems three-letter codes permanent and limits alterations to safety concerns.
• Gaya’s IATA code has been in continuous use since 2011 and Air India’s past request to change it was declined for lacking a safety basis.
• LGBTQ activists condemned the MP’s characterization as prejudiced and urged him to apologize for undermining the community’s dignity.
• Civil aviation and airport authorities have no procedure to revise the code absent a valid air-safety justification.