Former Tamil Nadu chief minister and DMK supremo MK Stalin on Monday criticised CM C Joseph Vijay’s decision to drop the proposal to build Chennai’s second airport in Parandur, describing the move as an irreversible setback.
Dropping Parandur airport project is not change, MK Stalin said.
His comments come after CM Vijay announced scrapping of the second Chennai airport project in Kancheepuram’s Parandur, about 60km west of Tamil Nadu’s capital, with an estimated cost of ₹20,000 crore and an annual capacity of 100 million passengers.
The land in Parandur was believed to be unsuitable for runways because of water bodies. Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government has said it accords top priority to the environment.
The proposed airport triggered protests, with residents maintaining the greenfield project would affect their livelihood as paddy is grown on land proposed for it.
‘Should not affect farmers’
Vijay stressed that the proposed new airport should not cause large-scale disruption to farmers or displace a significant number of people. He said the location proposed by the previous government would have severely affected farmers and displaced a large number of residents.
Vijay recalled visiting Parandur in 2025 and listening to the grievances of local people. “I firmly stood with them against the airport proposed to be set up at Parandur and the surrounding 12 villages,” he said. “I had expressed my support to the farmers who have been protesting against this project. Farmers are the backbone of the nation, and these people were protesting to protect their agricultural lands,” Vijay said.
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While acknowledging the importance of industrial development and the role airports play in economic progress, Vijay said he fully supported development but opposed locating the new Chennai airport at Parandur. “The government will select an alternative site that minimises the damage to agricultural land and does not affect people’s livelihoods,” he said.
Vijay promises alternative sites for airport
Vijay promised that suitable alternative sites would be considered for establishing the new airport. He said the existing airport at Meenambakkam has the capacity to handle 30 million passengers annually, but cited the city’s growing needs, passenger convenience, industrial development and the increasing demand for cargo transportation as reasons for a new airport.
Vijay told the state assembly that the Chennai airport in Meenambakkam will be expanded with a new passenger terminal, capable of handling an additional 20 million passengers annually. He added there would be more access roads and flyovers.
“After the ongoing construction work of Passenger Terminal 3 at Chennai [Meenambakkam] airport is completed, it will be capable of handling 35 million passengers annually,” he said. “After the new Terminal 5 comes into operation, this airport will have a total handling capacity of 55 million passengers per year.”
Oppn walks out
Vijay’s decision drew opposition from the DMK, which staged a walk-out in protest. The Opposition party had demanded a discussion on the Parandur airport in the Assembly, but the Speaker declined to allow it.