CHENNAI: The TVK-led state government has confirmed that the Parandur project is officially shelved, and that it will identify an alternative location while fast-tracking the expansion of Meenambakkam.
With the second airport delayed further, the real question isn’t how much Meenambakkam can be stretched in the short term, it’s why Chennai has been planning a second airport for years, and how soon that requirement becomes unavoidable.
A proposed Terminal 5 at Meenambakkam could eventually push capacity to about 55 million passengers a year. But the city has been planning a second airport regardless, not just to handle more passengers, but to expand cargo capacity and keep pace with competing metros.
“While upgrading the existing facility buys crucial operational runway, Chennai undeniably needs a second airport to support its expanding industrial, manufacturing, and services footprint long-term,” P Ravichandran, chairman, CII Southern region.
An AAI forecast had projected the city’s traffic rising to 46.49 million by 2032-33, with aircraft movements reaching 3.24 lakh. The same projections put Chennai at 50.97 million by 2031-32. TN’s own 2023-24 policy note said that the Chennai airport was expected to reach saturation by 2028.
Separately, aviation consultancy CAPA India has stated that Chennai and Kolkata were likely to breach saturation by 2032, calling this an indicator of urgent need for secondary greenfield airports at both cities.
The gap is clearest when Chennai is set against the other major southern metros. Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport handled 44.47 million passengers in 2025-26, up 6.2%, with international traffic alone growing 23.9%. The airport’s Terminal 2 was built with a 60 million capacity ceiling.
Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Airport handled roughly 30.5 million passengers, growing 10.5%; its existing terminal has a 34 million capacity, with expansion planned to take that to 80 million in next five years.
Chennai, by contrast, handled 23.02 million passengers in 2025-26 against a capacity of roughly 30 million, and moved 3.79 lakh tonnes of cargo in FY24-25; well behind Bengaluru’s 5.32 lakh tonnes. Chennai’s 1.56 lakh aircraft movements trailed Bengaluru’s 2.81 lakh.
“Chennai has historically competed with these cities for investment, industrial relocation and talent, and sustained momentum on airport infrastructure will be important to protect that competitive position,” Mehul H Doshi, president, CREDAI Chennai.
The city’s cargo traffic is tied directly to the manufacturing and industrial base built up around the city; electronics, automobile components, machinery and other high-value goods form the core of its air freight. The state’s policy documents have specifically cited growing freight movement and the needs of time-critical industries while making the case for a greenfield airport.
The Parandur plan, developed by TIDCO with Louis Berger envisaged a dual-airport system operating alongside the existing one, with an initial capacity of 20 million passengers by 2029, scaling to 50 million by 2036, 70 million by 2043 and 100 million by 2047. The master plan included a 2.3 lakh sq m cargo terminal and truck-docking area, 28 Code-C cargo aircraft stands with 14 more Code-F stands planned for the future, and dedicated MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul) infrastructure.
The search for Chennai’s second airport has already consumed years. Now the government has to run that process again: identify a new site, and take it through feasibility, technical and environmental assessments before construction can even begin.
Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad airport: A comparison
1) Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru
44.47 million passengers in 2025-26
Up by 6.2% with international traffic alone growing 23.9%
Terminal 2 built to handle 60-million capacity ceiling
Moved 2.81 lakh tonnes of cargo in 2024-25
2) Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, Hyderabad
30.5 million passengers (growing 10.5%)
Terminal has 34-million capacity
Expansion planned for 80 million in 5 years
3) Chennai International Airport
23.02 million passengers in 2025-26
Capacity of roughly 30 million
1.56 lakh aircraft movements
QUOTE
Chennai has historically competed with these cities for investment, industrial relocation and talent, and sustained momentum on airport infrastructure will be important to protect that competitive position
-Mehul H Doshi, president, CREDAI Chennai