CHENNAI: With the Tamil Nadu government dropping the proposed greenfield airport at Parandur, the focus has now shifted to three key questions: what happens to the land already acquired for the project, where will Chennai’s second airport now come up, and how will the existing Chennai airport be expanded to meet rising passenger demand?Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay announced that the Parandur project would not be pursued and that an expert team would identify an alternative site for Chennai’s second airport. The government has also proposed expanding the existing Chennai airport, including a new terminal, to cater to growing traffic.
What happens to the acquired land?
The greenfield airport was planned on around 4,700 acres. The previous government acquired about 1,500 acres, with compensation for agricultural land ranging from Rs 35 lakh to Rs 60 lakh per acre, apart from compensation for structures. Landowners were also offered alternative housing sites measuring five to 10 cents, along with 400 sq ft houses.The Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (TIDCO), the nodal agency for the airport project, is yet to decide how the acquired land will be used.Some villagers who opposed the airport have indicated that they would not object to industrial projects coming up on the acquired land, provided such development does not disturb the environmental balance.However, experts have cautioned that using land acquired specifically for an airport for a completely different purpose could trigger legal challenges. The government will therefore have to examine the legal status of the acquisitions before deciding whether the land can be retained for another public or industrial purpose or has to be returned.
Why was the Parandur project dropped?
The proposed airport had faced sustained opposition from residents of villages around Parandur, largely over the acquisition of agricultural land, water bodies and residential areas.The proposed airport required a large contiguous parcel of land, including areas with agricultural fields and water bodies. The government’s decision to abandon the project came after concerns over the environmental impact and the difficulty of finding a workable site without affecting large tracts of agricultural land.Finding another 5,000-acre site around Chennai without significant agricultural land, water bodies, industries or residential settlements is unlikely to be easy, officials and experts have pointed out.
Where could Chennai’s new airport come up?
The search for Chennai’s second airport dates back several decades. The idea was first discussed in the late 1990s, with several locations considered over the years.In 2021, the AIADMK government informed the Centre that four potential sites had been identified for a greenfield airport — Parandur, Pattur, Padalam and Thiruporur.In February-July 2022, the Airports Authority of India conducted site inspections and found Parandur and Pattur to be more feasible. In August 2022, Tamil Nadu selected Parandur for the proposed airport, which was planned with two parallel runways and an initial capacity of around 20 million passengers a year.TIDCO was subsequently appointed the nodal agency for the project and a detailed plan, including aviation-related facilities, commercial development and supporting infrastructure, was prepared.
Land acquisition gathered pace
The government had originally planned to acquire around 3,774 acres of private land and 1,972 acres of government land for the project.Land acquisition accelerated in 2025. By November, the government had acquired more than 1,000 acres from 17 villages, with about Rs 680 crore disbursed to landowners. Around 1,500 acres were under government control at that stage.By early 2026, around 1,500 acres had been acquired, even as the project continued to face resistance and environmental concerns.The government also notified the airport project as a special project in March 2026 to facilitate the land consolidation and acquisition process. By then, the total project requirement had been revised to around 5,746 acres, with about 1,700 acres acquired, according to government-related records.
Existing Chennai airport to get bigger push
With Parandur off the table, the state plans to strengthen the existing Chennai airport while looking for an alternative site for the second airport.The proposal includes expanding the existing airport by adding a new terminal and improving connectivity and passenger-handling infrastructure. Aviation experts have suggested that better terminal design, smoother passenger movement and improved road connectivity could help the existing airport handle higher traffic more efficiently.One proposal is to improve connectivity from the airport towards the city and reduce congestion on GST Road. For a future second airport, experts have suggested that the area between Muttukadu and Marakkanam could be examined for runway orientation and road connectivity.The challenge now is to find a new location that can accommodate a large airport without repeating the land-acquisition and environmental problems that ultimately derailed Parandur.For the Tamil Nadu government, the immediate task is therefore twofold: decide the fate of the roughly 1,500 acres already acquired at Parandur and identify a new, viable site for Chennai’s long-pending second airport.
