Published Aug 24, 2026 | 11:32 AM ⚊ Updated Aug 24, 2026 | 11:35 AM
CM Vijay speaking in the Tamil Nadu Assembly.
Synopsis: Tamil Nadu CM Vijay on Monday announced that the proposed Parandur airport project in Kancheepuram district would be scrapped due to concerns over farmer displacement and loss of agricultural land. The government will assess alternative locations with lower social and environmental impact before finalising a site for Chennai’s second airport.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay on Monday, August 24, announced in the Assembly that the proposed airport project at Kancheepuram district’s Parandur will be scrapped amid concerns of mass displacement of residents, mostly farmers.
Vijay said the existing Chennai International Airport at Meenambakkam, operated by the Airports Authority of India (AAI), can handle 30 million passengers a year, while growing development needs, passenger convenience and increasing cargo traffic had created the need for a new airport.
However, he said the location of any new airport should minimise the impact on farmers and avoid large-scale displacement of residential areas.
Vijay said the previous government had pursued the Parandur project despite its potential impact on farmers and residential areas. Referring to protests by residents of Ekanapuram and other surrounding villages, he recalled his visit to the region on January 20, 2026.
“I stand firmly with the people who are protesting against the proposed airport in Parandur. I extend my support to the farmers who have been fighting against this project for a long time. Farmers are the backbone of the country, and these people are fighting to protect their agricultural land,” Vijay said.
He also recalled that he had opposed the Parandur airport project at a public meeting in Vikravandi in October 2024.
“I am fully aware of the importance of industrial development and the role of airports in it, and I fully support it. But I had stated that this project should not come up at Parandur, that the government should reconsider it and identify an alternative location that would require less agricultural land and not affect people’s livelihoods,” he said.
Vijay said that, in order to fulfil the assurance he had given to the people, he had held detailed consultations with officials from the concerned departments and experts.
“Accordingly, as I had already assured, the steps taken to establish the new airport at Parandur will be abandoned by this government,” he announced.
He further said that, after consultations with sectoral experts and academics, several alternative locations that would minimise the impact on agricultural land had been identified. The technical feasibility of these locations will be assessed by the concerned departments, following which the site for the new airport will be finalised.
Also Read: Ground report: 774 days of resistance amid restrictions as locals oppose Parandur airport project
Meanwhile, the government will work with the AAI to further expand the existing Chennai airport at Meenambakkam. Vijay said steps would be taken to construct an approach road and flyover and establish a fifth terminal in the northwestern part of the airport, with the capacity to handle an additional 20 million passengers annually.
He said the ongoing construction of the third terminal would increase the airport’s annual passenger-handling capacity to 35 million. With the proposed fifth terminal, the airport would eventually be capable of handling 55 million passengers annually.
According to Vijay, the expansion would improve services at Chennai airport and meet the city’s passenger traffic requirements until a new airport is established at an alternative location.
The TVK government’s decision came after years of protests by the residents of Parandur against their land being used for the project. The residents of Ekanapuram and surrounding 12 villages in Parandur were at risk of being displaced from their land, which is also their livelihood.
They’ve boycotted elections, staged protests and attempted dialogue with the authorities, repeatedly demanding transparent discussions and clarity regarding the proposed project.
Apart from the mass displacement of nearly 2000 people, the Parandur project also posed serious ecological concerns,. The land which was to be acquired for the construction of the airport spans 905 acres, which included farmland, lakes and ponds. Around 400 acres of the land earmarked for the project is wetland.
(Edited by Fayisa CA)
