Gaya’s GAY airport code sparks unease but can’t be altered | Patna News
GAYA: Virtually ruling out the demand to change the three-letter code for Gaya International Airport from ‘GAY’ to a more neutral alternative, minister of state for civil aviation, Murlidhar Mohol, informed the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday that little can be done once a code is assigned by the International Air Transport Association (IATA).Reacting to a BJP member’s request to change the code, the minister said such codes are not generally altered unless they pose a risk to aviation safety.“Once the code is issued, it is not usually changed and any exception to it can only be made if the code offers any threat to air safety,” he said.In a written reply, the minister said the methodology for assigning airport codes typically involves using the first three letters of the airport’s location name. Hence, ‘GAY’ was allotted to Gaya.The code has been in use since Sept 30, 2011, when the first regular commercial Air India flight began operating on the Gaya-Varanasi-Delhi route.Currently, along with domestic airlines, international flights from cities such as Yangon (formerly Rangoon), Bangkok and Thimphu operate FROM Gaya airport during the tourist season, which runs from Oct to March. Several chartered flights from countries like Japan and South Korea also use the airport. All these flights list ‘GAY’ as the code for Gaya. Starting next month, Air India is scheduled to resume operations on the Gaya-Delhi route.Commenting on the etymology of the name “Gaya”, P C Roy, a scholar of ancient Indian and Asian studies, said it originated from ‘Gyan’ (enlightenment), in reference to Buddha’s spiritual awakening. Over time, the pronunciation is thought to have evolved into ‘Gaya’.While the airport code is based on geographic logic, the overlap with this usage has led to some unease. Gaya-based fiction writer Sanjay Sahay said, “I always felt embarrassed while booking air tickets for my hometown.”
