India, Dec. 7 -- The long-simmering agitation to rename the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) after project-affected people's (PAP) leader DB Patil has surged into its most confrontational phase yet, with coastal communities announcing a mass foot march and threatening to halt airport operations just days before the first commercial flight.

In a dramatic escalation, organisers said thousands of villagers from the Agri-Koli community and other coastal groups will begin a march from Bhiwandi on December 22, demanding that the government formally approve the DB Patil name before flights commence on December 25.

The dispute, rooted in an emotive demand to honour Patil, celebrated for leading the fight for fair land compensat...