More than 75 days have elapsed since Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay announced the cancellation of the proposed Parandur airport project, yet the state government has made no tangible progress in identifying an alternative site for Chennai’s second airport. The Parandur project was officially scrapped on August 24 following intense opposition from residents in Ekanapuram and 11 surrounding villages whose land was earmarked for acquisition.
Government sources indicate that in September, the state administration formally requested the Airports Authority of India (AAI) to conduct pre-feasibility studies on potential land parcels in Cheyyur, located in the Chengalpattu district, and Gummidipoondi in the Tiruvallur district. However, the AAI has yet to respond to this request, effectively stalling the assessment process required for the government to proceed.
Industry experts have expressed skepticism regarding these two sites, noting their proximity to critical infrastructure. Gummidipoondi is situated near the ISRO launchpad in Sriharikota, while Cheyyur is located close to the Madras Atomic Power Station in Kalpakkam. Despite these concerns, a government source emphasized the urgency of the situation, stating, “We are very clear that Chennai needs a second airport and the location has to be finalised soon. We will expedite the work once the AAI studies the two locations and gives us a report.”
Beyond the search for a new site, the state government is awaiting a response from the Union government regarding Chief Minister Vijay’s proposal to privatize the existing Chennai Airport. The Chief Minister has requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to replace the AAI as the airport's operator. According to a recent response to a Right to Information (RTI) request, the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation has forwarded the Chief Minister’s letter to the AAI for comments.
This push for privatization marks a significant shift in the state government's policy. While the previous administration selected Parandur in 2022, the project faced significant hurdles, including protests that slowed land acquisition. By May 2026, approximately 1,700 of the required 5,700 acres had been acquired. The current administration is now navigating the fallout of cancelling that project, which was a key campaign promise made by Vijay, while simultaneously addressing long-standing complaints regarding the existing airport's operational inefficiencies.