Parandur airport: Delay in finding new site could set Tamil Nadu’s development back by 10 years, says Annamalai

K. Annamalai, founder of We The Leaders, has warned that the delay in finding a new site for the Parandur airport could set Tamil Nadu's development back by up to ten years. Annamalai made this statement after Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay announced the cancellation of the airport project. He emphasized that the opportunity cost of this decision requires careful consideration by the State government.

According to Annamalai, identifying a new site and obtaining the necessary approvals from the Central government and statutory bodies, as well as issuing tenders, acquiring land and securing licenses, could take a minimum of ten years before the new airport becomes operational. During this time, other states, including Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad, would progress and surpass Chennai in terms of airport capacity and facilities.

He pointed out that Chennai's current airport spans a mere 1,300 acres, while Hyderabad's spans approximately 5,500 acres, Bengaluru's 4,000 acres, Navi Mumbai's 2,866 acres, and Delhi's 5,100 acres. Despite this, Chennai's airport is ranked fifth in total passenger-handling capacity, handling 30 million passengers annually. However, it is not classified as a Code F airport due to inadequate taxiways and aerobridges, which limit its ability to handle large aircraft such as the A380.

Annamalai urged the Tamil Nadu government to expedite the process of identifying a suitable location for a second airport in Chennai. He warned that any further delays could push the timeline well beyond ten years. He also questioned what the State government plans to do with the 1,700 acres already acquired for the Parandur airport project, out of the required 5,746 acres.