Putting Parandur on the radar

Above: residents of 13 villages, including Ekanapuram, have been protesting against land acquisition for the Parandur airport project for more than 950 days. Ekanapuram residents even boycotted the 2024 Lok Sabha choice to attract attention to their opposition to the project, who say he will plague his livelihood. | Photo credit: B. Velankanni Raj

Almost 50 years ago, Madras Airport remained high as the gateway to southern India. He was praised for being an airport with a difference. Between the 1960s and the 1980s, it emerged as a national and international air connectivity center, linking the city with destinations such as Singapore, Malaysia, Australia and Indonesia. By 1989, it served as a true port to the rest of the world from a corner of southern India, operating direct flights to London and New York.

However, cracks begging to appear in the course of time. What began as minor lapses became systemic problems that remained largely without addressing. In the two decades after deprivation, when Bengaluru and Hyderabad airports shot in the infrastructure and passenger traffic, Chennai’s airport remained where he had been. The airport that was once glorious faced more and more criticism for congion, poor maintenance, inappropriate services and poor accessibility. Now it is located only as the fifth busiest airport in the country. After years of stagnation and lost opportunities, Chennai is finally ready for a complete aviation infrastructure review. The long -awaited project of the second airport in Parandur is taking shape, promising to be a state -of -the -art installation that aspires to put Chennai along with the first level airports of India.

Preparation for takeoff

The work based on the second Chennai airport was established three years ago when the government of Tamil Nadu announced the Parandur team in the Kanchepuram district as the site. The decision occurred after more than a decade of deliberations, delays and growing recognition of the urgent need of the city to improve air connectivity. With the task of supervising the project, Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (Tidco) has bone navigate for the intricate procedure panorama.

If everything goes as planned, the construction will begin at the beginning of 2026 and the operations will probably begin at the end of 2028 or early 2029. In particular, this new airport is not intended to replace Meenambakam airport, but works next to it, improving Chennaitide.

Planned in four phases, the Parandur airport will have three mediocampo terminals, two parallel tracks and a handling capacity of 100 million passengers a year. The first phase will cost ₹ 11.445.54 million rupees, while the total cost of the project is estimated at ₹ 27.4 billion rupees. In the initial phase, the terminal will jump more than 3,51,380 square mets and will be able to handle the 4F code plane, according to global aviation trends.

Building an airport of this size is not a simple feat. It implies a maze of approvals, environmental evaluations, design authorization and bidding procedures. In the last three years, trade union government agencies had been an intense scrutiny of the project. In line with the Greenfield airport policy of the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MOCA), the Tidco assured the authorization of the site in August 2024, followed by an approach in principles in April 2025.

To comply with the ambitious construction timeline, the Tidco is the completion of a comprehensive tender document. However, according to the protocol, the tender cannot be issued until the MOCA, the Economic Regulatory of India (Aera) and the Airport Authority of India (AAI). This process, which is expected to take four months, will pave the way for the offer to begin at the end of 2025.

In a recent high -level meeting attended by the key stakeholders, including the General Directorate of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the Niti Aayog, the AAI, the Aera, the Meteorological Department of India, the Ministry of Environment, BREAD and the Ministry and the Ministry and the Ministry. However, several warnings were built. The DGCA marked the need to address obstructions such as chimneys, water supply and railway lines. The risk of arouse, an important concern for the region prone to floods (as evident in the last monsoon) was also discussed. The Tidco has agreed to implement mitigation measures.

Compensation by AAI

Another complex problem is compensation for AAI. Because the Parandur site is within the 150 km radius of the existing airport, Tamil Nadu is mandatory to compensate the AAI until the Goambakam airport reaches a traffic volume of 35 million passengers per year. The details of this package are still being negotiated.

The environmental authorization process is also underway. In September 2024, the Ministry of Environment issued the terms of reference, ordering the Tidco to carry out an environmental impact assessment (EIA) and formulate an environmental management plan. These studies are expected to be in the day, they will be completed at the end of 2025. The final environmental authorization is likely to follow the end of the year, sources indicate.

Meanwhile, the master plan for the airport is about to finish. Efforts are also being made to design a rehabilitation and compensation package for residents of approximately 13 villages, including Ekanapuram, which will be affected by the acquisition of land for the airport. This socioeconomic dimension adds a layer of complexity to the implementation of the project.

The dissatisfaction of passengers with Chennai airport is no secret. In the quality of the airport service (ASQ) of the International Airport, the airport fell from 56th in 2023 to 63 in 2024, a reflection of the deterioration of the experience of passengers. In marked contrast, airports in Delhi, Bangalore, Mumbai, Hyderabad and even Kannur have received international recognition for excellence in service. The aircraft movements in Chennai are still trapped at the pre-Covid-19 level, around 470-480 per day. While the AAI is accelerating the expansion in Meenamakkam, space limitations remain a significant bottleneck. Only with the proposed satellite terminal, the expansion of capacity will be limited.

“Due to the central location and limitations of the country, the current airport cannot meet future demands,” says a source of senior aviation. “We are competing with airports that operate in private, they have a wide space for expansion and sacrifice higher services. Without a comparable infrastructure, Tamil Nadu runs the risk of losing their competitive advantage and economic opportunities.”

Despite its projected benefits, the Parandur airport project faces strong resistance for environmental and humanitarian reasons. Environmentalists argue that the construction of the airport in a site that includes 26% of wetlands will exacerbate flood risks in Chennai. G. sundarrajan or poovulaguu nanbargal, an environmental NGO, has opposed the project from the beginning. “Perform thousands and destroy a fragile ecosystem is not the solution to Chennai’s infrastructure problems. There are alternatives. The OTA Earth, if acquired from the defense ministy, can be the existing Weyts. Satellite environmental damage.” Hey also continues to retain a crucial hydrogeological report. “The long -term impact on the area of ​​the basin could be catastrophic. If this report is made public, the project can stop.”

On the ground, discontent is palpable. Residents of 13 villages, including Ekanapuram, have been protesting against land acquisition for more than 950 days. Ilango, resident of Ekanapuram, says: “We have been ignored for too long. This project will devastate our livelihood, will displace entire communities and destroy natural water bodies. We are prepared to challenge this in court.”

Missing connectivity

For Parandur A happens, connectivity will be the key. The location of the new airport, 70 km from the center of Chennai, raises a logistics challenge. Without a railway system or a semi-high speed highway, travel time can be frustrating. “Building a world class terminal is only half of the equation,” says an industry analyst. “You need perfect and efficient connectivity over time from the center of the city and the existing airport. Otherwise, the convenience factor will be lost.” According to reports, the State is considering integrated transport plans, including highways and the extension of the metropolitan railroad, thought they are in the planning stage.

While Tamil Nadu presents ahead with the Parandur airport project, it must achieve a balance between growth and sustainability. On the one hand, the project is a critical measure for the revitalization of Chennai’s role in global aviation and stimulates economic development. On the other hand, problems focus on environmental conservation and social justice.

The critics of the project, including Mr. Swandard, argue that the State should consider building regional airports in Touchi, Coimbatore and Madurai to reduce the pressure on Chennai and promote balanced development. This would fit the Dravidian governance model, he says.

In its current form, the Parandur project is promising and problems. The key aspect is that its implementation must be rooted in transparency and inclusion, and Parandur is a trial case to see if social justice and social justice can go hand in hand.

There is no doubt that every time it is complete, the airport will be a historical achievement in the infrastructure update in modern India, but the activists warn that the groups of interested parties and environmental realitions should be ours; Otherwise, it will be a contentious chapter in the history of the State.