Vijay government shortlists two sites for Chennai’s second airport after dropping Parandur

The Tamil Nadu government has shortlisted Manellore and Cheyyur as potential locations for Chennai’s second airport, moving quickly to identify an alternative after Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay scrapped the proposed greenfield airport at Parandur.

The two locations have been recommended to the Airports Authority of India (AAI) for a pre-feasibility study, following preliminary inspections by the Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (TIDCO). A final decision is expected to be taken after the AAI submits its assessment of the two sites.

Manellore, near Gummidipoondi in Tiruvallur district, is around 50-60 km from Chennai, while Cheyyur in Chengalpattu district is farther south of the city. Both locations will be assessed for their suitability to serve the Chennai Metropolitan Area, including factors such as airspace availability, connectivity, land requirements and regulatory clearances.

AAI to study sites

Officials are expected to visit both locations before preparing the pre-feasibility report. The sites could, however, face their own regulatory challenges. Cheyyur is around 35 km from Kalpakkam and its airspace could require clearance from defence authorities, while Manellore is located around 35 km from Sriharikota.

The government is keen to accelerate the process, though developing a greenfield airport from scratch could take several years because of feasibility studies, land acquisition, environmental and other statutory clearances, construction and the development of supporting transport infrastructure.

The search for an alternative began after Vijay announced in the Assembly on August 24 that his government would abandon the Parandur airport project pursued by the previous DMK government. Vijay cited concerns over the acquisition of agricultural land, displacement of residents and the impact on farmers’ livelihoods.

He, however, acknowledged that Greater Chennai required a second airport to meet future passenger demand, support industrial expansion and improve cargo transportation. The government, he said, would identify a location where the impact on farmland and residential settlements could be minimised.

Parandur plan dropped

Parandur in Kancheepuram district had been selected in 2022 after the AAI studied four potential sites. The proposed Rs 29,144-crore airport was to come up across about 5,746 acres spanning 13 villages and was planned to eventually handle up to 100 million passengers annually.

The project faced sustained opposition from residents and farmers, particularly in Ekanapuram and surrounding villages. Vijay had backed the protesters before coming to power and had promised that the project would not be allowed to proceed at the site.

The decision to abandon Parandur has drawn criticism from the Opposition, with former chief minister and DMK president M K Stalin describing it as a setback to Tamil Nadu’s growth and warning that restarting the site-selection and approval process could delay the second airport by several years.

The existing Chennai International Airport handled around 23 million passengers in 2025-26 against its current annual capacity of about 30 million. With passenger and cargo traffic expected to grow, the state government has maintained that a second airport remains necessary despite its decision to abandon Parandur.