CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Monday announced in the Legislative Assembly that his government would abandon the proposed greenfield airport project at Parandur, citing concerns over its impact on agricultural lands and residential areas. The government will instead identify an alternative location for the proposed airport, according to a Maalaimalar report.
Making the announcement during the Assembly session on 24th August 2026, Vijay said the need for a second airport had arisen due to the expansion of the Chennai metropolitan region, increasing passenger traffic and the need to improve cargo transportation.
He said the existing Chennai airport at Meenambakkam, operated by the Airports Authority of India, currently has the capacity to handle around 30 million passengers annually.
Vijay said the location for a new airport should be selected in a manner that does not significantly affect farmers or result in the large-scale displacement of residents.
The Chief Minister said the previous government had attempted to establish the airport at Parandur despite the potential impact on agricultural lands and residential settlements. He recalled visiting Ekanapuram and other villages on January 20, 2025, to meet residents protesting against the proposed airport.
Vijay said he had earlier expressed his opposition to the Parandur project during a public meeting in Vikravandi in October 2024. He also reiterated his support for the development of industries and the importance of airports but maintained that Parandur was not a suitable location. He said detailed consultations were held with senior government officials, domain experts and academicians before arriving at the decision.
“As promised, the measures initiated to establish the new airport in Parandur will be abandoned by this government,” Vijay said.
The Chief Minister said suitable alternative locations had been identified after studying the impact of the Parandur proposal on agricultural lands and residential areas. He said the relevant government departments would conduct detailed technical feasibility studies before finalising a location for the new airport. Vijay said the government would ensure that the new site causes minimal disruption to farmers and residents.
Meanwhile, the government will work with the Airports Authority of India to expand the existing Chennai airport at Meenambakkam. As part of the expansion, a new Terminal 5 is proposed in the northwestern section of the airport. The terminal is expected to increase the airport's annual passenger-handling capacity by another 20 million passengers.
The expansion will also include road and flyover infrastructure to improve connectivity to the airport. Vijay said the ongoing construction of Terminal 3 would increase the airport's passenger-handling capacity to 35 million annually once completed. With the proposed Terminal 5 becoming operational, the total annual passenger-handling capacity of Chennai airport is expected to reach 55 million. The Chief Minister said the expansion would help meet the growing passenger demand in Chennai until a new airport is established at an alternative location.