On Monday, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay announced the withdrawal of plans to establish a new airport at Parandur. The decision comes in response to significant concerns regarding the potential impact on agricultural land and the livelihoods of farmers and local residents in the area.
However, the Chief Minister stressed that the new airport should be located in an area where agricultural land and residential settlements would be affected as little as possible. Speaking in the Assembly, Vijay said Chennai’s Meenambakkam airport, operated by the Airports Authority of India (AAI), currently has the capacity to handle 30 million passengers annually. Vijay said he had visited Eganapuram and other villages on January 20, 2025, where he listened to the grievances of residents protesting against the proposed airport at Parandur and 12 surrounding villages.
He said a new airport was necessary to meet the city’s growing requirements, support industrial development and cater to the increasing movement of cargo. “I stand firmly with the people protesting against the airport to be established in Chennai’s Parandur and 12 surrounding villages,” he said. The Chief Minister said farmers were the backbone of the country and expressed his support for those protesting to protect their agricultural land.
Government to abandon steps for Parandur airport
Earlier reporting noted: On Monday, Vijay promised suitable alternative sites for establishing the new airport. “However, this project should not be located in Parandur. Stalin’s announcement raised concerns over the ecology and the threat to water bodies in Parandur. He cited the growing needs of a developing city, passenger convenience, industrial development, and the need to increase cargo transport for establishing a new airport.
Because of water bodies, earlier reporting noted: The land in Parandur was believed to be unsuitable for runways. Earlier reporting noted: Farmers, water bodies: Why has CM Vijay dropped 2nd Chennai airport plan, for now Chief minister C Joseph Vijay on Monday announced the scrapping of the second Chennai airport project in Kancheepuram’s Parandur , four years after his predecessor, M K Stalin, announced it in August 2022, about 60km west of Tamil Nadu’s capital, with an estimated cost of ₹ 20,000 crore and an annual capacity of 100 million passengers. He said the existing airport at Meenambakkam has capacity to handle 30 million passengers annually.
The government must reconsider this project,” he said, adding that an alternative location should be identified where the impact on agricultural land would be minimal and people’s livelihoods would not be disrupted. “To fulfil the promise I made to the people that day… the steps taken to establish a new airport in Parandur will be abandoned by this government,” Vijay said. Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government has said it accords top priority to the environment.
