"Irreversible Setback": MK Stalin On Vijay Dropping Parandur Airport Project

Calling it an "irreversible setback" for Tamil Nadu's growth, DMK chief MK Stalin said the decision by Chief Minister Vijay to scrap Parandur greenfield airport project "will set the State's development back by several years", teeing off a fresh face-off between Tamil Nadu's ruling TVK and the Opposition DMK that lost the election to the first-time Chief Minister's party just months ago.

Chief Minister Vijay announced in the Assembly on Monday that steps taken to establish a new airport at Parandur will be abandoned to protect agricultural land and livelihoods in Parandur and 12 surrounding villages. The Civil Aviation Ministry had granted in-principle approval for the Parandur Greenfield Airport in April 2025.

"Dropping Parandur is not Change. It's an irreversible setback for Tamil Nadu's growth. The announcement made today by the Hon'ble Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu to drop the Parandur International Airport project will set the State's development back by several years. Tamil Nadu's interests cannot be mortgaged for petty political considerations," Stalin said in a long post on X.

Vijay's 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. Stalin, who lost his own seat in the Tamil Nadu elections, said an announcement of such far-reaching importance being made under Rule No. 110, shutting out any opportunity for debate, is deeply troubling.

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

"An announcement of such far-reaching importance being made under Rule No. 110, shutting out any opportunity for debate or even for members to voice their views, is deeply troubling. Tamil Nadu leads the country across sectors, from electronics exports to automobiles. A world-class airport in its capital is not merely desirable, but absolutely essential. Rejecting such a vital project is not change. It is a massive disappointment," he said.

He said the site was carefully selected after evaluating all available alternatives and land acquisition was almost completed, with several stages of preparatory work and approvals completed.

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

"The site was carefully selected after evaluating all available alternatives, and the land acquisition process has been almost completed. With several stages of preparatory work and approvals already completed, we had drawn up plans to ensure that construction could begin at a rapid pace once we returned to office. If the new government now starts all over again, identifies another location and goes through the entire process before work can even begin, Tamil Nadu's growth trajectory itself will DROP," he said.

Dropping Parandur is not Change. It's an irreversible setback for Tamil Nadu's growth

The announcement made today by the Hon'ble Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu to drop the Parandur International Airport project will set the State's development back by several years. Tamil Nadu's… pic.twitter.com/QHZdVdK21L

— M.K.Stalin (@mkstalin) August 24, 2026

The former Chief Minister further stressed that Vijay's announcement is nothing short of "jackpot for competing states".

"Under the #DravidianModel government, Tamil Nadu became the first port of call for investors. This decision threatens to push the State to the bottom of the table. The Chief Minister's announcement is nothing short of a jackpot for competing States! Without industrial growth, economic targets of one trillion USD or 1.5 trillion USD are simply impossible to achieve. Taken without foresight, planning or consultation, this decision by the TVK government is a devastating blow to the employment dreams of Tamil Nadu's youth," Stalin wrote on X.

Stalin further said that it will be a big blow for employment dreams of the youth in the state.

"Without industrial growth, economic targets of one trillion USD or 1.5 trillion USD are simply impossible to achieve. Taken without foresight, planning or consultation, this decision by the TVK government is a devastating blow to the employment dreams of Tamil Nadu's youth," Stalin said.

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.

In January 2025, Vijay visited the protesting villagers in Kancheepuram to lend his support, saying he opposes the project if it "comes at the cost of nature".

Since the previous DMK government announced the Rs 27,000-crore project in 2022, local farmers and activists had been protesting relentlessly. 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.

Vijay has 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, he said.