Tamil Nadu CM Vijay scraps Parandur greenfield airport, cites land and habitation concerns

CM Vijay has said that a new terminal, Terminal 5, would be developed in the north-western area of Chennai airport. Local villagers and farmers in Parandur had been protesting against the airport since 2022. 

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay has announced that the ₹27,400-crore Parandur greenfield airport project will be scrapped, fulfilling a key TVK poll promise. The government will explore alternative sites for Chennai’s second airport and plans to expand the existing Meenambakkam airport. The DMK criticised the decision, questioning its impact on industrial development and the future of land already acquired for the project. Some DMK MLAs later walked out of the Assembly after the Speaker denied permission to discuss the announcement under Rule 110.

Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay on Monday announced that the state government would abandon the proposed greenfield airport project at Parandur and identify an alternative site that would cause minimal disruption to farmers and residents. BIG BREAKING: பரந்தூரில் புதிய விமான நிலையம் அமைக்கும் திட்டத்தை கைவிடுவதாக முதலமைச்சர் ஜோசப் விஜய் அறிவிப்பு.Chief Minister Joseph Vijay announces that the TVK government will abandon the proposed Parandur airport project. pic.twitter.com/CEE3ogFcom— Actor Vijay Team (@ActorVijayTeam) August 24, 2026 Making a statement in the Legislative Assembly, CM Vijay said the decision was taken following concerns about the project’s potential impact on agricultural lands, waterbodies and residential settlements in Parandur and surrounding villages.Tamil Nadu CM C Joseph Vijay To Shift Office From Fort St George To Sea-Facing Secretariat Floor The Chief Minister acknowledged that Chennai required a second airport because of the rapid expansion of the metropolitan region, rising passenger traffic and increasing demand for cargo transportation. However, he said such a major infrastructure project should not come at the cost of farmers’ livelihoods or result in the large-scale displacement of residents.The existing Chennai airport at Meenambakkam, operated by the Airports Authority of India, can currently handle about 30 million passengers annually.CM Vijay accused the previous government of attempting to proceed with the Parandur project despite sustained opposition from residents. He recalled visiting Ekanapuram and nearby villages on January 20, 2025, to meet people protesting against the acquisition of their land for the airport. The Chief Minister said he had publicly opposed the project during a meeting at Vikravandi in October 2024.While reiterating his government’s support for industrial growth and improved aviation infrastructure, he maintained that Parandur was unsuitable for the airport.CM Vijay said the government arrived at its decision after consulting senior officials, aviation specialists, academicians and other experts. Technical feasibility studies will now be conducted at alternative locations before the new airport site is finalised.Tamil Nadu CM C Joseph Vijay Set For First Official Delhi Visit, Likely To Meet PM Modi After Historic Election Victory “As promised, the measures initiated to establish the new airport at Parandur will be abandoned by this government,” he told the Assembly.Meanwhile, the state government will work with the Airports Authority of India to expand the Meenambakkam airport.A new Terminal 5 has been proposed in the airport’s northwestern section, along with additional roads and flyovers to improve connectivity. The ongoing construction of Terminal 3 is expected to increase the airport’s annual passenger-handling capacity to 35 million. Terminal 5, once operational, could add another 20 million passengers, taking the overall capacity to 55 million annually.CM Vijay said the expansion would help Chennai manage its growing aviation requirements until the proposed second airport becomes operational at a suitable alternative location.Disclaimer: This story is from the syndicated feed. Nothing has been changed except the headline.

Chennai: While other metropolitan cities in the country have already got swanky new international airports, Chennai will have to make do with its congested existing airport within the city and wait much longer to join the elite global aviation map.BIG BREAKING: பரந்தூரில் புதிய விமான நிலையம் அமைக்கும் திட்டத்தை கைவிடுவதாக முதலமைச்சர் ஜோசப் விஜய் அறிவிப்பு.Chief Minister Joseph Vijay announces that the TVK government will abandon the proposed Parandur airport project. pic.twitter.com/CEE3ogFcom— Actor Vijay Team (@ActorVijayTeam) August 24, 2026 Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay on Monday said his government would drop the proposed Parandur greenfield airport project, on which the previous DMK government had already commenced work and begun acquisition of land as well. Vijay justified the decision saying this was required to minimise impact on agricultural land and residential habitations. However, he underscored that the State needs a new airport to meet Chennai’s growing aviation requirements.Chennai, Tamil Nadu: Former Minister and DMK leader Thangam Thennarasu says, "Airport is an important one and is essential for the economic growth of Tamil Nadu. Chennai Airport was a great airport. Chennai Airport, which was in 3rd place with 2.30 lakh passengers, has now gone… https://t.co/JJpG4B3nYE pic.twitter.com/QXbwHhjpi8— ANI (@ANI) August 24, 2026 In a statement under Rule 110 in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, Vijay said alternative locations had been identified through technical studies by various government departments and that the site for the new airport would be finalised after a detailed assessment.The Chief Minister said he had personally visited Parandur on January 20, 2025 (as political party leader), and met residents to hear their concerns. He said he had subsequently made his position clear that the project should not proceed in a manner that adversely affects agricultural lands or people’s residences.“Considering the views expressed by the people, the government has undertaken efforts to identify alternative locations,” Vijay said, adding that the exercise was aimed at ensuring that the new airport could be established without affecting agricultural land and habitations to the extent possible.'How Serious Are You Regarding Women’s Safety?': Female Passenger Alleges Harassment By 'Drunk' Men On Train At Night, Slams Railways; VIDEO The Chief Minister, however, stressed that Chennai would require additional airport capacity. The existing Chennai airport, operated by the Airports Authority of India (AAI), currently has the capacity to handle about 30 million passengers annually, he said. With the city’s passenger traffic and economic activity expected to grow, a new airport would be necessary to meet future demand.At the same time, the government has decided to expand capacity at the existing airport. Vijay said a new Terminal-5 is being planned with an annual handling capacity of 20 million passengers. The terminal will be developed in coordination with the AAI, along with associated facilities, including runway and other infrastructure works.The existing Terminal-3 has a capacity to handle 35 million passengers annually, he said. Once Terminal-5 becomes operational, Chennai airport's annual passenger-handling capacity would rise to 55 million. The new greenfield airport would subsequently be developed to cater to the longer-term requirement for air passenger capacity.