Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay has announced in the Legislative Assembly that the state has dropped all measures to establish a greenfield airport at Parandur, bringing an end to the long-running proposal amid strong opposition from farming communities in the region.
The decision marks a significant shift in the state’s aviation infrastructure strategy, with the government seeking to balance the need for additional airport capacity with the protection of agricultural land and livelihoods.
The Parandur proposal had faced sustained resistance from farmers in Eganapuram and neighbouring villages over concerns relating to land acquisition, displacement and the impact on agricultural activity.
Alternative sites under review
While the Parandur project has been dropped, the state government is continuing to explore options for developing additional airport capacity to meet Chennai’s long-term passenger and cargo requirements.
The government has engaged domain experts and academicians to assess pre-screened alternative locations. The proposed sites are being evaluated for technical feasibility, agricultural impact and potential displacement of residential settlements.
The approach is aimed at identifying a location that can support future aviation growth while reducing the social and economic disruption associated with large-scale land acquisition.
Meenambakkam gets capacity push
In the immediate term, the government is turning to Chennai International Airport at Meenambakkam to bridge the capacity gap.
In partnership with the Airports Authority of India (AAI), the state plans to facilitate the development of Terminal-5 on the northwestern side of the existing airport. The proposed terminal is expected to add capacity for around 20 million passengers annually, along with supporting approach roads and flyovers.
The expansion will complement the ongoing development of Terminal-3, which is expected to take the airport’s capacity to around 35 million passengers.
With Terminal-5 eventually becoming operational, Chennai airport’s overall passenger-handling capacity is projected to reach around 55 million passengers annually.
Balancing growth and sustainability
The policy shift comes as Tamil Nadu seeks to strengthen Chennai’s position as a major aviation, logistics and industrial hub while addressing concerns over agricultural land and community displacement.
For businesses and investors, the government’s revised approach signals a focus on expanding aviation infrastructure in phases while continuing to assess alternative locations for a future greenfield airport.
The immediate emphasis on Meenambakkam is expected to provide additional capacity for passenger and cargo growth, while the search for alternative greenfield sites could determine Chennai’s longer-term aviation infrastructure roadmap.