Tamil Nadu chief minister C Joseph Vijay NEW DELHI: Tamil Nadu chief minister C Joseph Vijay on Monday announced that his government would abandon the proposed greenfield airport project at Parandur, saying the project would affect agricultural land and disrupt the livelihoods of farmers and residents.The announcement was made in the assembly as Vijay said Chennai still needed a new airport to meet rising passenger demand, industrial growth and increasing cargo movement. However, he said the new airport should be located at a site where agricultural and residential areas would face minimal disruption.”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 government is now considering alternative locations and plans to conduct technical feasibility studies before finalising a new site.Why Vijay rejected ParandurVijay said he had visited Eganapuram and other villages on January 20, 2025, and heard the grievances of residents protesting against the proposed airport in Parandur and 12 surrounding villages.”I stand firmly with the people protesting against the airport to be established in Chennai’s Parandur and 12 surrounding villages,” he said.The chief minister said farmers were the backbone of the country and backed those protesting to protect their agricultural land.Vijay said he had also opposed the Parandur project at a public meeting in Vikravandi in October 2024, while making clear that he supported industrial development and the role of airports in it.”However, this project should not be located in Parandur. The government must reconsider this project,” he said.He added that an alternative site should be identified where the impact on agricultural land and people’s livelihoods would be minimal.Chennai airport to be expandedWhile dropping Parandur, the government said Chennai’s existing airport would be expanded.Vijay said the Meenambakkam airport, operated by the Airports Authority of India, currently has the capacity to handle around 30 million passengers annually. With the under-construction Terminal 3 becoming operational, capacity is expected to rise to 34 million passengers a year.The government plans to expand the airport on its north-western side by constructing a fifth terminal, which is expected to handle another 20 million passengers annually.The government is also considering alternative sites for a new airport, with technical feasibility studies to be conducted by expert teams.Why Parandur was chosenThe Parandur project had received in-principle approval from the Civil Aviation Ministry in April 2025 for an International Greenfield Airport in Kancheepuram district.The proposed project had faced opposition from residents of villages that were expected to be affected by land acquisition and construction.However, the DMK has criticised the decision to abandon the project, arguing that it could hurt Tamil Nadu’s industrial growth and investment prospects.Former chief minister and DMK president MK Stalin said dropping the project would set the state’s development back by several years.”The announcement made today by the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu to drop the Parandur International Airport project will set the state’s development back by several years. Tamil Nadu’s interests cannot be mortgaged for petty political considerations,” Stalin said.He also called the decision a setback to employment opportunities for Tamil Nadu’s youth.DMK warns of economic falloutFormer Tamil Nadu minister and DMK MLA Thangam Thennarasu also criticised the decision, saying the Parandur site was selected after studying options for establishing two runways.”Possibilities for setting up two runways were all studied and only then Parandur was selected,” he said.Thennarasu argued that scrapping the project for political reasons could hurt the state’s economy and push industries towards neighbouring Andhra Pradesh.”It would be best to have the airport at Parandur. Dropping the Parandur Airport project for political reasons will cause economic damage,” he said.”Many industries will move towards Andhra Pradesh. We have already lost the Hosur Airport,” he added.Thennarasu also said compensation had already been provided to people whose land was acquired for the project and cited the Land Acquisition Act while arguing that the acquired land should be used for its intended purpose.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelinesDMK stages assembly walkoutThe announcement triggered an immediate confrontation in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, with DMK MLAs staging a walkout after Speaker JCD Prabhakar denied DMK leader KN Nehru permission to respond to the statement, citing Assembly rules.The opposition accused the government of making a policy U-turn that could affect Tamil Nadu’s industrial momentum and prospects of attracting investment.Vijay, however, maintained that the government supports airport-led industrial development but believes the proposed airport should not come at the cost of agricultural land and people’s livelihoods.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.About the AuthorAyush PandeyAyush Pandey is a journalist at The Times of India, covering breaking news, politics, defence, and major legal and policy developments across India and the world. His reporting focuses on elections, national security, and institutional affairs, tracking the decisions and conflicts that shape public life. He specialises in sharp explainers and in-depth feature stories that go beyond headlines to decode political shifts, defence strategy, geopolitical flashpoints, and changing public sentiment. 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NEW DELHI: Tamil Nadu chief minister C Joseph Vijay on Monday announced that his government would abandon the proposed greenfield airport project at Parandur, saying the project would affect agricultural land and disrupt the livelihoods of farmers and residents.The announcement was made in the assembly as Vijay said Chennai still needed a new airport to meet rising passenger demand, industrial growth and increasing cargo movement. However, he said the new airport should be located at a site where agricultural and residential areas would face minimal disruption.“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 government is now considering alternative locations and plans to conduct technical feasibility studies before finalising a new site.
Why Vijay rejected Parandur
Vijay said he had visited Eganapuram and other villages on January 20, 2025, and heard the grievances of residents protesting against the proposed airport in Parandur and 12 surrounding villages.“I stand firmly with the people protesting against the airport to be established in Chennai’s Parandur and 12 surrounding villages,” he said.The chief minister said farmers were the backbone of the country and backed those protesting to protect their agricultural land.Vijay said he had also opposed the Parandur project at a public meeting in Vikravandi in October 2024, while making clear that he supported industrial development and the role of airports in it.“However, this project should not be located in Parandur. The government must reconsider this project,” he said.He added that an alternative site should be identified where the impact on agricultural land and people’s livelihoods would be minimal.
Chennai airport to be expanded
While dropping Parandur, the government said Chennai’s existing airport would be expanded.Vijay said the Meenambakkam airport, operated by the Airports Authority of India, currently has the capacity to handle around 30 million passengers annually. With the under-construction Terminal 3 becoming operational, capacity is expected to rise to 34 million passengers a year.The government plans to expand the airport on its north-western side by constructing a fifth terminal, which is expected to handle another 20 million passengers annually.The government is also considering alternative sites for a new airport, with technical feasibility studies to be conducted by expert teams.
Why Parandur was chosen
The Parandur project had received in-principle approval from the Civil Aviation Ministry in April 2025 for an International Greenfield Airport in Kancheepuram district.The proposed project had faced opposition from residents of villages that were expected to be affected by land acquisition and construction.However, the DMK has criticised the decision to abandon the project, arguing that it could hurt Tamil Nadu’s industrial growth and investment prospects.Former chief minister and DMK president MK Stalin said dropping the project would set the state’s development back by several years.“The announcement made today by the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu to drop the Parandur International Airport project will set the state’s development back by several years. Tamil Nadu’s interests cannot be mortgaged for petty political considerations,” Stalin said.He also called the decision a setback to employment opportunities for Tamil Nadu’s youth.
DMK warns of economic fallout
Former Tamil Nadu minister and DMK MLA Thangam Thennarasu also criticised the decision, saying the Parandur site was selected after studying options for establishing two runways.“Possibilities for setting up two runways were all studied and only then Parandur was selected,” he said.Thennarasu argued that scrapping the project for political reasons could hurt the state’s economy and push industries towards neighbouring Andhra Pradesh.“It would be best to have the airport at Parandur. Dropping the Parandur Airport project for political reasons will cause economic damage,” he said.“Many industries will move towards Andhra Pradesh. We have already lost the Hosur Airport,” he added.Thennarasu also said compensation had already been provided to people whose land was acquired for the project and cited the Land Acquisition Act while arguing that the acquired land should be used for its intended purpose.
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DMK stages assembly walkout
The announcement triggered an immediate confrontation in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, with DMK MLAs staging a walkout after Speaker JCD Prabhakar denied DMK leader KN Nehru permission to respond to the statement, citing Assembly rules.The opposition accused the government of making a policy U-turn that could affect Tamil Nadu’s industrial momentum and prospects of attracting investment.Vijay, however, maintained that the government supports airport-led industrial development but believes the proposed airport should not come at the cost of agricultural land and people’s livelihoods.
