In scrapping Parandur airport, Vijay keeps promise that defined his first political protest

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay announced on Monday that his government would abandon the proposed Rs 27,000-crore greenfield airport at Parandur, fulfilling a promise made at the beginning of his political career. The airport, planned on 5,746 acres in Kanchipuram district, had faced fierce opposition from residents of Ekanapuram and surrounding villages for years. In a significant move, Vijay confirmed that the measures to establish the airport would be abandoned by his government.

Vijay's decision marks a shift in government policy, as he had initially vowed to reject the Parandur project during his first political protest in 2025. The chief minister visited Ekanapuram earlier that year and publicly supported the villagers fighting against the acquisition of their homes and farmland. He had told the protesters, "The location selected for establishing the new airport must be one that does not affect farmers on a large scale and does not require the removal of a large number of residential settlements."

Despite the setback, Vijay emphasized the importance of Chennai's airport expansion. He highlighted Meenambakkam airport's current capacity of 30 million passengers annually, which is insufficient given the city's growing industrial and commercial needs. The chief minister expressed his confidence in the airport's role in the region's development while emphasizing that the Parandur project should not be built at the chosen site.

The decision to abandon Parandur opens up a new challenge for the government: identifying an alternative site for Chennai's second airport. After consulting with senior officials and experts, the government has identified a few suitable alternatives that would not affect agricultural land and residential settlements to the same extent as Parandur. Technical feasibility studies will be conducted, and the new location will be finalized soon, according to Vijay.

While the Parandur airport project's cancellation may cause a delay in Chennai's airport expansion plans, Vijay assured that the existing airport will be expanded to meet the growing demand for passenger and cargo capacity. A new Terminal 5 will be developed in the north-western section of Meenambakkam, capable of handling an additional 20 million passengers annually. Once Terminal 3 is completed, Meenambakkam's annual passenger capacity will rise to 35 million, eventually reaching 55 million passengers a year.