The Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK)-led Tamil Nadu government, fulfilling one of its poll promises, has officially announced that the proposed greenfield airport project planned as Chennai’s second airport at Parandur in Kancheepuram district would be dropped. Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay announced the decision in the Assembly on August 24, 2026 saying that Chennai needs a second airport, but not at the cost of agricultural land, farmers’ livelihoods.

The Parandur project, estimated to cost around ₹27,400 crore, was planned across 3,000 acres of fertile agricultural lands and was expected to eventually handle up to 100 million air passengers a year.

The move to drop the project four years after Parandur was finalised as the site for Chennai’s second airport comes in the backdrop of years of stiff opposition and sustained protests by the farmers and residents of villages around Ekanapuram in Kancheepuram district since 2022 who cited critical environmental threats; loss of farm lands, waterbodies and livelihoods; and risks of displacement of families.

On the other hand, the scrapping of the airport project has raised questions over the future course of action pertaining to the roughly 1,700 acres of agricultural lands that were already acquired during the tenure of the erstwhile DMK government.

Meanwhile, the chorus urging the State government to expedite the identification of an alternative, new site for Chennai’s second airport grows louder.

In the light of the Tamil Nadu government scrapping the massive second airport at Parandur, social media has been abuzz with debates on what the city could be missing out before a new airport is a reality in the future. Among them is why Chennai airport doesn’t handle Code F type aircraft such as A380 (very large wingspan ranges from 65 metres – 80 metres; passenger capacity: over 500).

Officials of Airports Authority of India (AAI) clarify that while Chennai airport is classified as Code E airport the main runway can handle Code F aircraft when special procedures are in place.

A Code E airport can handle long-haul, widebody aircraft such as B777 or A330. The wingspan of such aircraft range from 52 metres – 65 metres with the passenger capacity ranging from 200 to 400.

In the past, on a few occasions, Chennai airport has handled Code F type aircraft but there is no passenger boarding bridge in place for such an aircraft, officials said.

For instance, in October last year, Chennai airport handled Antonov An-124 Ruslan, one of the largest cargo aircraft. In 2019, the airport received two Boeing 747-800 aircraft (Code F). Two years later, two taxiways commissioned at the airport too were suitable to handle Code F type aircraft, officials said.

“The main runway of the airport is capable of handling Code F type aircraft under Specialised Standard Operating Procedures. But we must understand that there are very few Code F type passenger aircraft. We handle several Code E type aircraft for international operations regularly. When there is a scheduled Code F type, we can certainly handle it,” an official said.

Two years ago, in a meeting held with AAI, the Tamil Nadu government had urged to make Chennai airport Code F compliant for regular operations and that it would give an impetus to the State’s economy.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay on Monday (August 24, 2026) announced his government’s decision to drop the proposed airport at Parandur and identify alternative sites for a new Chennai airport. Making a suo motu statement in the Assembly, he said a new terminal, Terminal 5, would be developed in the north-western area of Chennai airport in collaboration with the Airports Authority of India (AAI), along with an approach road and a flyover.

The main Opposition DMK sought to sepeak on the issue, but Speaker J.C.D. Prabhakar said he would not allow a debate on an announcement made under Rule 110 of the Assembly. Former Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu said he was not seeking to debate the issue but wanted to make a clarification. The DMK members walked out after the Speaker stood his ground.

The Chief Minister said he had consulted experts on the creation of a new airport and a few alternative sites had been identified without causing much damage to farmland and human settlements.

“The site will be finalised after studying the technical feasibility and consulting the departments concerned,” he said, recalling his visit to Parandur in 2025 to express solidarity with the protesting farmers and his earlier announcement at Vikravandi opposing the airport project.

He said Chennai airport was currently handling 30 million passengers a year and that the capacity would increase to 35 million once Terminal 3 was completed. “After the completion of Terminal 5, the passenger capacity will increase by another 55 million a year. It will improve the services and transport facilities until a new airport is completed,” he said.

The Chief Minister said he was fully aware of the role of airports in industrial development but maintained that an airport should not be built at Parandur as it would affect vast tracts of farmland and human settlements. “But the previous government tried to create a new airport at the cost of farmers, their lands and human settlements,” he said.

The Tamil Nadu Government will explore, with officials and experts, the possibility of finding an alternative site for the proposed greenfield airport near Chennai, Minister for Energy Resources and Law R. Nirmalkumar said on Thursday. He said the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam stood firm in opposing the project planned at Parandur.

Speaking to reporters after the Governor’s address to the Assembly, Mr. Nirmalkumar said, “The first field-level protest of our Chief Minister [as the TVK president] began at Parandur. We are firm in that stand. But we are not against development or an airport. Why should waterbodies and cultivable land be destroyed for a development project? We will consider an alternative site for the project, discuss it with the Chief Minister, and then an announcement will be made.”

The Minister’s remarks came against the backdrop of speculation that the TVK government was planning to drop the airport project at Parandur, nearly 70 km from Chennai. On January 20, 2025, Mr. Vijay went to Kancheepuram district and met villagers protesting against the project.

For the Parandur airport, which was announced in 2022 by the DMK government, nearly 1,700 acres of land has already been acquired after the site clearance and the in-principle approval were obtained. At this point, it is not wise to drop the project, industry leaders and air passengers say.

V.N. Shivashankar, senior vice-president of Southern India Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SICCI), said the Tamil Nadu government should not scrap the project immediately.

He said, “Chennai needs a good airport. It will be a setback to the State if they decide to drop it after getting most of the approvals. Be it foreign or domestic investors, the first impression they make of a city is through an airport. An airport accelerates the development of a city and also of the State significantly.”

“Airports like Bengaluru and Hyderabad are examples of how much a city grows and gains from having a large airport. We request the government to hold discussions with the industry bodies before taking the final decision since it has a significant bearing on all of us,” he added.

It takes a few years to identify a new site for an airport and at least 3-4 years to complete the construction. An aviation expert said the government looked at several sites before shortlisting the four and zeroing in on Parandur. “It will take a minimum of one year to identify a site and get the Airports Authority of India to do the pre-feasibility study. Then getting the site clearance and the in-principle approval could take another two years. And then, the land acquisition, construction, and making the airport operational can take at least 5-6 years,” he said.

He also pointed out that finding a site for an airport would not be so easy. “Air space availability, wind direction, and the type of obstacles play a huge role in deciding a site. The problems cited in Parandur could come up at other sites too,” he added.

Air passengers, too, feel that dropping Parandur means the wait for the city to have a good airport gets much longer, and they will bear the brunt of it. Vasanthi Kannan, a frequent flyer, said, “Several passengers like me are not at all happy with the present airport because of its maintenance, among other issues. It will be hugely beneficial to the passengers if the airport is built at Parandur, and the privatised airports in the country have already shown that.”

A few months ago, Murugan, a farmer and resident of Nagapattu, was under duress to give his agricultural land for the Parandur airport project. “I was absolutely against it. But I had to give my farmland since it was for the development of the State, and it would create lakhs of jobs. I received the compensation. But now, I’m shocked that there is nothing happening. We are staring at uncertainty, wondering why we gave the land,” he says.

Many residents and farmers who gave their farmland are worried about their future, as they do not know whether the project would take off.

Planned to be built at an estimated cost of ₹27,400 crore in four phases on an area of 2,172.72 hectares, the airport was announced in 2022. Demonstrations erupted soon after. Simultaneously, the government pursued the approval. In April 2025, the approval finally came. Land acquisition began, and continued till the State went into election mode. So far, nearly 1,700 acres has been acquired in various villages.

“Obviously, none of us wanted to move out of our home town. But it has come to a point where we would be in peace if a decision is taken soon. If they want to build an airport, let them do it soon and relocate us. But instead of Siruvallur, which has been identified for us, we want to go to Karai as it is more convenient. We also want more compensation,” Mr. Murugan adds.

Shanmugham, another resident of Nagapattu, highlights some of the problems that have emerged from this uncertainty. “If there is a sewage leak or an issue with the lighting in the village, it doesn’t get resolved. The authorities say we are anyway being shifted,” he adds.

Sivaprakasam, of Nelvoy village, who gave five acres for the project, says he and his neighbours want to move to Karai. “Since we have to shift anyway, we might as well go to Karai since we will have better transport, and it will be easier to get jobs. But we need monthly assistance,” he adds.

Sangeetha, another resident, says her family wanted to build a house, but they cannot get building permission owing to the uncertainty.

Some residents who parted with their land say they don’t have a problem with the project as it promises employment. But they want assured jobs for their children. Nagappan of Gunagarampakkam says, “The government claims lakhs of jobs will be created by the airport. We need jobs for the youth, and I want the government to provide one to each affected family.”

Mr. Murugan says he strongly opposes any other alternative to the airport, such as SIPCOT. “I offered to give my land for the airport project only because everyone said the State would develop significantly, and lakhs of jobs would be created in Chennai. You cannot take my land, promising that you will use it for the airport, and then repurpose it for other projects,” he adds.

G. Archana of Nagapattu says she used to work at a small firm near the Bengaluru airport. “If there was something like that in this village, I would have worked and supported my family. There is nothing here. If the airport comes up, at least my children, who are studying now, will get good jobs, and the entire area will be developed. But all of us want better compensation,” she adds.