 The former premier of KZN, S'bu Ndebele, described the naming process as urgent, stating that "pilots cannot fly to a place with no name".Public hearings on the naming of the airport began at the beginning of November 2009, with most attendees favouring "King Shaka International Airport" as the new airport's name.On 8 December 2009, it was reported that "King Shaka International Airport" was indeed the most popular name for the new airport.