Chennai has been seeking a second airport for 27 years, yet the project remains in limbo. While the government selected Parandur as the site in 2022, only 1,700 of the required 5,800 acres have been acquired due to local protests. The administration under Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay has not officially clarified its stance on the location, despite speculation regarding a potential site change.
Industry experts emphasize that the delay has hindered the state's competitiveness, as cities like Bengaluru and Hyderabad have surged ahead with modern aviation infrastructure. Chennai’s existing Meenambakkam airport currently struggles with capacity constraints, parking issues, and an inability to accommodate wide-body aircraft, causing the city to slip to sixth place in national passenger traffic rankings.
CII representatives argue that a new greenfield airport is essential for supporting Tamil Nadu’s goal of becoming a $1.5-trillion economy by 2036. They urge the government to modernize the existing facility while simultaneously resolving the impasse over the new project to ensure the state does not lose further economic and freight potential to neighboring regions.
