Government sources said there is no legal restriction preventing the TVK administration from discontinuing the project despite its Special Project status
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VELANKANNI RAJ B
The Union Civil Aviation Ministry has not received any intimation from the newly-elected Tamil Nadu government led by Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) on whether it intends to proceed with or put on hold the proposed ₹27,000-crore greenfield airport at Parandur, according to highly placed sources.
“We have not received any intimation from the State government about their plans for the second airport. We are not aware whether they are putting it on hold or proceeding with it. We had already issued the approval for the land in the past,” ministry sources said. The ball is now in the State’s court, any decision on the project’s future now rests with the State government, the sources added.
The clarification comes amid growing speculation over the fate of the proposed second airport for Chennai after the formation of the new TVK government. Statements made by senior ministers have indicated that environmental concerns cannot be compromised for development projects, meaning that the project could be shelved and an alternative site identified.
Not Finalised
Meanwhile, businessline has learnt from sources that a delegation of senior Tamil Nadu government officials is scheduled to visit New Delhi on Monday to hold discussions with Central government officials on various externally aided projects supported by agencies such as the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank (ADB). It remains unclear whether the Parandur airport project will be part of those discussions.
Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay had, before assuming office, backed villagers and farmers opposing the project over concerns about loss of livelihood and environmental impact. Since taking charge, there has been speculation that he has reviewed the project, although no details have been made public. Senior State government officials have denied that any such discussions have taken place.
Airport Revenue
One of the final gazette notifications issued by the previous DMK government declared the Parandur New Greenfield Airport Project a “Special Project” under the Tamil Nadu Land Consolidation (for Special Projects) Act, 2023. The notification was issued on March 2, just days before the Model Code of Conduct came into force.
However, government sources said there is no legal restriction preventing the new administration from discontinuing the project despite its Special Project status.
Industry representatives have warned that scrapping the airport would be a setback for Chennai, arguing that the city has already lost passenger and cargo traffic to neighbouring Hyderabad and Bengaluru and that a second airport would help arrest that trend.
Published on July 12, 2026
