As Vijay govt scraps Chennai's 2nd airport, concerns rise over Tamil Nadu's growth stalling

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay announced in the state Legislative Assembly on Monday (Aug 24) that his government is dropping the efforts undertaken (by the earlier DMK regime) to build a new airport at Parandur(second airport for Chennai). While Vijay did acknowledge the need to upgrade Chennai's lone airport, a Government-operated facility, he added that the new airport must come up at a site that does not significantly affect agricultural land, displace farmers and local residents. "I understand the need for a new airport and how it helps industrial and economic growth...there is my full support for it.. But it should not happen in Parandur," Vijay emphasised in the assembly.

Based on discussions with domain experts and senior officials, we have selected a few alternate sites that do not cause significant impact to farmers and local housing, Vijay said. Technical studies will be done on those sites by concerned depts and the new airport site will be finalized soon, he added.

Referring to the decision of the earlier DMK regime to build an airport at Parandur, about 60kms away from Chennai, Vijay said that project would affect farmers greatly and displace many villages. Residents from Ekanapuram and other adjoining villagers opposed this project.

Maintaining that he had always opposed the proposed Parandur airport, Vijay mentioned that he highlighted this issue back in in October 2024 public meeting itself. "On 20thJanuary 2025, I went to the Parandur airport site and I met the people. I announced that I would stand with the people of Parandur and those belonging to the 12 adjoining villages, who are opposing the airport project. I expressed my support for the farmers who have been protesting against this project for a long time. Farmers are the backbone of our country and they are fighting to protect agricultural lands". I had said that the then Government should re-evaluate this project and pick and alternate site that has less impact on farmers, land, and the livelihood of local people, he added.

CM Vijay's plan to expand existing AAI Chennai airport

Citing that Chennai's existing Meenambakkam airport operated by the Central Government's Airports Authority of India(AAI) has a capacity of 30million passengers per year, CM Vijay said that the Chennai needed a new airport considering the city's future requirements, passenger convenience, industrial growth, logistics, among others. However, he added that the site for the new airport should not significantly affect farmers or displace local residents.

As an interim measure, Vijay said that the ongoing construction of the Terminal 3 at Chennai airport would enhance the annual passenger handling capacity to 35 million. Further, he said that his government would work with the AAI to carry out expansion to the Northwest of the airport. "We will setup a Terminal 5, which will help handle another 20million passengers per year. Once the Terminal 5 is operational, the overall passenger handling capacity of the existing airport will be 55 million per year," Vijay said.

Opposition Parties slam Vijay Govt's decision to scrap Parandur airport project

Former Tamil Nadu Industries Minister and DMK leader TRB Rajaa expressed sorrow that years of hard work and intense planning to give Chennai the dual-runway Greenfield airport it desperately needs has been sacrificed at the altar of politics.

"Industry experts understand the stakes. Investment promotion agencies in neighbouring states will now quietly rejoice, saying: Tamil Nadu has shot itself in the foot. Chennai’s growth and that of Tamil Nadu’s will now face a serious hurdle. We most urgently need a truly world-class international airport capable of handling large aircrafts, with two operational 4,000m+ parallel runways. I find it extremely difficult to believe that the very officers who worked so hard on this project supported this decision. They know better than most that there is no better alternative option given the environmental and aviation concerns," he said.

He highlighted that his DMK Government explored every possible option to identify a 5,000+ acre parcel of land around Chennai with the least impact on villages, water bodies, agriculture and existing air traffic. According to Rajaa, Parandur was ultimately chosen because, after years of technical evaluation, it offered the least overall impact while meeting Chennai’s long-term aviation requirements. The consequences go far beyond just an airport. The entire industrial corridor from Poonamallee to Kanchipuram,which accounts for nearly 41% of India’s electronics exports, could have received a massive boost. Better port connectivity, reliable water infrastructure for industry and direct global air connectivity could have boosted this region and TN into one of the world’s most important manufacturing hubs, creating at least a million new jobs over time. All of that potential has now been put at risk for what appears to be plain politics, Rajaa says.

He urged Chief Minister Vijay to personally speak to senior officers in private and ask them whether scrapping Parandur is truly the right decision. Do not let politics derail what could be the most important infrastructure project for Tamil Nadu’s future, he cautions. "If there is genuinely no turning back, then the so-called alternative site must be identified within this year at the latest. Chennai and Tamil Nadu MUST have a new world-class international airport within the next three years," he emphasized.

Tamil Nadu BJP's Vice President Narayanan Thirupathy referred to Vijay's decision as a reckless and short-sighted one that will inflict lasting damage on Tamil Nadu’s economy and future growth.

He elaborated that, for nearly four years since the site was formally selected in 2022 (and after years of prior planning and studies), successive governments, experts, and the Civil Aviation Ministry worked intensively on this project. Detailed feasibility studies were completed, in-principle approval was granted by the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation in April 2025, and substantial progress was made on the ground.

"Over 1,100 to 1,700 acres of land had already been acquired across multiple villages, and hundreds of crores of rupees (approximately ₹680–856 crore) had been disbursed as compensation to landowners. The ₹27,400-crore project was designed to handle up to 100 million passengers annually in phases and was strategically located near the Sriperumbudur industrial corridor, the Chennai-Bengaluru Expressway, and emerging logistics hubs," Thirupathy stated.

By unilaterally scrapping this advanced project, the Vijay government has wasted years of painstaking work, public money, and institutional effort. Finding an alternative suitable site of comparable size (nearly 5,000–5,700 acres) that meets technical, environmental, and connectivity requirements will be extremely difficult and will inevitably push the second airport for Chennai back by several more years — in fact a decade, Thirupathy said in a social media post.

On behalf of the BJP, he demanded that the Vijay Government reverse this decision or, at the very least, immediately finalise and notify a viable alternative site with a clear, time-bound implementation plan so that Tamil Nadu does not permanently lag behind its neighbours in aviation infrastructure and economic competitiveness.

Industry bodies' opinion about the need for a second airport...

Industry bodies such as the Confederation of Indian Industry(CII) are of the view that Tamil Nadu can significantly boost its economic potential, when the capital city Chennai gets a second airport. Airports serve as a gateway to a region and they create the first impression on visitors. In Chennai's case, it is widely regarded that the city's lone airport is a major limiting factor. The city-based Chennai airport was established in the 1950s. As it has undergone multiple expansions and upgradations over the decades, the scope for further expansion in a highly urbanised and congested region is very limited.

From handling greater volume of passengers and cargo, to accommodating large long-haul aircraft like the double-decker Airbus A380 and improving international connectivity, a new airport can potentially improve the appeal and economic activity of Chennai and its adjoining districts, it is widely regarded.

With Chennai’s existing airport already under pressure and projected to reach saturation soon, Tamil Nadu potentially faces huge risks of losing investments, manufacturing units, IT/ITES expansions, air cargo business, and high-value employment opportunities. Given that neighbouring states are moving aggressively: Andhra Pradesh is advancing projects such as Bhogapuram airport, while Karnataka continues to expand Bengaluru’s airport capacity and plan further aviation infrastructure, it is regarded that every year of delay in Chennai’s second airport strengthens these competing hubs and encourages industries and exporters to shift their operations and logistics routes to Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.

Commenting on the immediate actions needed at Chennai's existing airport, Purushothaman Ravichandran, Chairman, CII Southern region said: Right now, our immediate focus must be working closely with stakeholders to strengthen and upgrade the existing Chennai International Airport at Meenambakkam. It remains a vital gateway for business and regional connectivity. Enhancements must focus on significantly improving passenger comfort, augmenting cargo handling capabilities, and building robust infrastructure to seamless handle wide-body international aircraft.

Meanwhile, he also stressed that the Chennai undeniably needs a second airport to support its expanding industrial, manufacturing, and services footprint long-term. "Regarding the shift away from Parandur, the government must swiftly identify and finalise an alternative site through technical feasibility studies. Execution at the chosen alternative site must be fast-tracked with dedicated focus to prevent project delays and ensure Chennai does not lose its competitive edge to neighboring industrial hubs," Ravichandran said.