Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay has announced that his government will abandon the proposed greenfield airport project at Parandur near Chennai, following years of opposition from local residents and farmers.
The decision marks a major policy shift on a project that had become a contentious political and environmental issue in the state. The proposed airport site, located around 70 km from Chennai in Kancheepuram district, had faced protests over concerns about the impact on agricultural land, water bodies and the livelihoods of local communities.
Vijay said his government would honour the commitment he made to residents who opposed the airport. He recalled that he had spoken against the project as early as October 2024, while acknowledging that better airport infrastructure was important for industrial development. However, he had maintained that development should not come at the cost of farmers' interests.
"To fulfill the promise I made to the people that day... the steps taken to establish a new airport in Parandur will be abandoned by this government," Vijay said.
The Civil Aviation Ministry had granted in-principle approval for the proposed airport in April 2025 during the previous DMK government. The project later became a significant political issue, with Vijay and his Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) campaigning against it.
After coming to power, the Vijay government had already indicated that it would review the proposed site. In June, TVK leader CTR Nirmal Kumar said a comprehensive assessment was underway to explore alternative locations while protecting water bodies and fertile agricultural land.
The announcement has also triggered a political confrontation with the Opposition DMK. Senior DMK leader Duraimurugan challenged the government to make public the files related to the airport project instead of making allegations about the previous administration.
Duraimurugan said the Opposition could consider moving a privilege motion in the Assembly if the Chief Minister failed to make the relevant files public within a week.
For now, the future of Chennai's proposed second airport remains uncertain. While the Parandur site has been dropped, the government may still consider another location to meet the city's growing aviation and infrastructure needs.
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