Tamil Nadu CM Vijay scraps Rs 20,000-crore Chennai’s 2nd airport project at Parandur: Here's why

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Monday (August 24) announced the scrapping of the second Chennai airport project in Kancheepuram's Parandur, which was unveiled by his predecessor, M K Stalin, in August 2022, nearly 60km west of Chennai. The announced project had an estimated cost of Rs 20,000 crore and an annual capacity of 100 million passengers, which had raised concerns over the ecology and water bodies in Parandur.

Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government scrapped the airport project as it had triggered protests, maintaining that the greenfield project would affect their livelihood. The protests of the citizens, which started during the MK Stalin government, have lasted for a year.

On Monday, Vijay said the government would identify suitable alternative locations for developing the proposed new airport. He said the existing Meenambakkam airport currently has the capacity to serve 30 million passengers a year. He cited the city's growing requirements, passenger convenience, industrial expansion and the need to boost cargo movement as key reasons for developing a new airport.

Chennai airport with increased annual capacity

Vijay told the state Assembly that the Chennai airport at Meenambakkam would be expanded with a new passenger terminal, increasing its annual capacity by another 20 million passengers. The expansion would also include additional access roads and flyovers. "After the ongoing construction work of Passenger Terminal 3 at Chennai [Meenambakkam] airport is completed, it will be capable of handling 35 million passengers annually," he said. "After the new Terminal 5 comes into operation, this airport will have a total handling capacity of 55 million passengers per year." He added that airport facilities would be enhanced and the traffic managed will be improved until the new airport is constructed.

Vijay stressed that the proposed new airport should be developed without huge disruption to farmers or displacing a large number of people. He said the location proposed by the previous government for the airport would have severely impacted farmers and forced many people to relocate.

Vijay said he had visited Parandur in 2025, where he heard the concerns and grievances of local residents. "I firmly stood with them against the airport proposed to be set up at Parandur and the surrounding 12 villages," he said. "I had expressed my support to the farmers who have been protesting against this project. Farmers are the backbone of the nation, and these people were protesting to protect their agricultural lands," Vijay recalled.

While highlighting the importance of airports in driving industrial growth and overall development, Vijay said he was fully in favour of development but maintained that Parandur should not be chosen as the site for the new Chennai airport. "The government will select an alternative site that minimises the damage to agricultural land and does not affect people's livelihoods," he said.