Chennai’s second airport: grounded until take-off

Nearly three decades after the idea to build a second airport for Chennai first emerged, the Tamil Nadu government is once again searching for a new location, following the cancellation of the Parandur airport project. Initially, Cheyyur and Gummidipoondi were among the 11 locations under consideration. However, it remains unclear why these two sites did not make it to the shortlist of four — Parandur, Pannur, Thiruporur, and Padalam.

Discussions had been held on Pannur as well, but it is uncertain if it is still in contention. If the Cheyyur site is chosen, the government may need to seek approval from the Ministry of Defence, as the location might fall under the airspace controlled by the Indian Air Force. Another point of concern is the proximity of Gummidipoondi to Pulicat Lake, and the potential impact of bird movement on air traffic.

The exact site has not been decided yet, but an inspection is expected soon. Once a site is chosen, the government will need to request the Airports Authority of India (AAI) to conduct a pre-feasibility study and provide recommendations. This will be followed by selecting a consultant, applying for site clearance, and commencing the project anew.

The Parandur airport project, which was the closest to being realized, had seen significant progress before being halted. The government had already acquired 1,802 acres of land for potential industrial use. Given that constructing an airport at any chosen site typically takes five to seven years, the State government has decided to focus on improving the existing Meenambakkam airport first.

This involves constructing the T5 Terminal, which will increase the airport's capacity to 35 million passengers annually. Once the T2, T3, and T5 terminals are completed, the airport's handling capacity will expand to 55 million passengers a year. However, delays have been a common issue with AAI projects, such as the ongoing modernization of the T5 Terminal and the elevated corridor, which originally planned to be completed by 2022, but have yet to be finalized.

Frequent flyers have expressed dissatisfaction with the current state of the airport, citing inconvenience caused by modernization efforts and the need for better facilities, such as washrooms and dining options. Some argue that the city would benefit greatly from a second airport, as it would provide direct flights to more destinations, similar to what Bengaluru currently enjoys.