Explained: Why Tamil Nadu Dropped Second Airport Near Chennai

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay has officially scrapped the controversial Parandur greenfield airport project, fulfilling a major pre-election promise made to local villagers and environmentalists.

Announcing the decision, the Chief Minister made his stance clear: "I know how important an airport's role is for industrial growth, and I even support that. But an airport in Parandur is simply not acceptable. We had asked the previous government to reconsider this project. Now, after detailed discussions with officials, and as per the promise I made to you, our government is dropping the Parandur airport plan."

While the government stands firm with the protesting residents, the Chief Minister assured that Chennai's aviation needs will not be ignored. The state will soon announce a detailed plan for a new airport at an alternative site, alongside immediate plans to expand the existing Chennai airport.

High Drama in the Assembly
The announcement quickly triggered a political storm in the Tamil Nadu Assembly. MLAs from the opposition DMK staged a walkout after Speaker JCD Prabhakar denied them permission to discuss the cancellation.

The drama unfolded while Minister KA Sengottaiyan was speaking at a protest by milk producers. DMK MLAs tried to interrupt and flag the Parandur issue, but the Speaker ruled that as per Assembly Rule 110, there can be no debate on statements and announcements made directly by Ministers or the Chief Minister. Denied a discussion, the opposition MLAs walked out in protest.

DMK MLAs address the media after staging a walkout during an ongoing Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly session

What Was the Parandur Airport Project?
The proposed greenfield airport at Parandur was planned to be one of Tamil Nadu's largest and most ambitious infrastructure projects. Designed to meet Chennai's long-term aviation needs, the massive airport was engineered to handle an ultimate capacity of 100 million passengers per year.

According to the pre-feasibility report prepared by Louis Berger International for TIDCO, the project was estimated to cost around Rs 27,000 crore. The development was planned to be completed in four distinct phases, with the first phase alone requiring an investment of Rs 13,854 crore.

To build this massive facility, the state government had proposed acquiring around 5,369 acres of land across nearly 20 villages in the Kancheepuram and Sriperumbudur regions. Before the project was cancelled, the government had already completed site clearance, obtained key approvals from the Centre, and acquired nearly 1,700 acres of land. Alongside the airport, several major road networks, Metro connectivity, and logistics projects were also planned.

The Tamil Nadu government's decision to designate the proposed Parandur Greenfield Airport as a 'Special Project' had triggered renewed concerns among environmental groups

Why Were People Protesting?
Since the previous DMK government announced the Rs 27,000-crore project in 2022, local farmers and activists had been protesting relentlessly. For over 1,000 days, residents from Ekanapuram and surrounding villages fought to save their homes and livelihoods.

Their fight was never just about getting better compensation. Out of the 5,369 acres marked for the project, nearly half (47.6%) is fertile, irrigated agricultural land that yields three crops a year. Even more critically, a quarter of the entire area is covered by lakes, canals, and water bodies. Building a runway on wetlands was seen as an ecological disaster waiting to happen.

Data shows their fears were highly justified. Out of the 5,369 acres marked for the project, nearly half (47.6%) is irrigated agricultural land. Even more critically, exactly one-fourth (25%) of the entire area is covered by vital natural water bodies, lakes, and local canals. Building runways over these wetlands was seen as an ecological disaster.

Vijay's Stand: Development, But Not at the Cost of Nature
The Parandur struggle was a defining moment for Chief Minister Vijay and his party, the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK). In January 2025, Vijay visited the protesting villagers in Kancheepuram to lend his support.

"I am not against development, but I oppose this airport if it comes at the cost of nature," he had said, pointing out that destroying natural water channels is a key reason why Chennai faces devastating floods year after year. Now in power, he has converted that commitment into state policy, citing the land's ecological fragility as the primary reason the site is unsuitable for a runway.

Residents of Ekanapuram village in Kancheepuram district unanimously adopted a resolution thanking Chief Minister Vijay for opposing the proposed Parandur greenfield airport

The 25-Year Search for a Second Runway
The search for Chennai's second airport is a saga that spans over two decades. It began in 1999, with various sites like Sriperumbudur being proposed and later shelved due to high land acquisition costs and the strict regulations of the 2013 Land Acquisition Act.

There is no doubt that Chennai urgently needs more aviation capacity. The Confederation of Real Estate Developers' Associations of India (CREDAI) recently emphasised that the city risks losing major business investments and economic opportunities if its aviation infrastructure isn't upgraded.

According to CREDAI, even with ongoing upgrades to boost the current airport's capacity to 35 million passengers annually, industry experts and government projections show that Chennai airport will reach complete saturation between 2028 and 2032.

Expanding the current Meenambakkam facility any further is incredibly difficult due to severe structural constraints, including:
Limited space for runway expansion.
* Dense urban surroundings locking the airport in.
* Severe slot congestion during peak hours.
* A shortage of aircraft parking bays.
* Growing pressure from international cargo.

What Happens Next?
With Parandur officially out of the picture, the search for Chennai's second airport goes back to the drawing board.

Vijay has instructed officials to identify an alternative location where the acquisition of fertile agricultural land is kept to an absolute minimum, ensuring that people's homes, fields, and livelihoods are protected. Until then, the focus will shift toward squeezing more capacity out of the existing Chennai airport to keep the state's industries running smoothly.