Tamil Nadu Industries Minister S Keerthana
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The Industries, Investment Promotion and Commerce Department’s Policy Note for 2026-27, tabled in the Assembly on Tuesday, noted the government would identify new alternative sites for a greenfield international airport near Chennai in consultation with experts.Feasibility studies for the identified sites will be undertaken through the Airports Authority of India (AAI), following which the State government will take necessary action based on the recommendations, the policy note said.It also outlined plans to expand the existing Chennai airport while the search for a new greenfield airport site is undertaken.“AAI has proposed establishing a new passenger terminal on the north-western side of Chennai airport. It has sought the State government’s support and necessary clearances for constructing an elevated road connecting the new terminal with the National Highway. The Tamil Nadu government will provide the necessary support to AAI for implementing the expansion,” according to the policy note.While tabling the policy note in the Assembly, the government also defended its decision to abandon the proposed ₹27,000-crore greenfield airport at Parandur, with Industries Minister S Keerthana assuring the Assembly that land acquisition for an alternative airport would not come at the cost of agriculturists’ livelihoods.Participating in a debate on the Parandur airport project, Keerthana also said the State’s industrial land acquisition agency SIPCOT would follow a similar approach while acquiring land for industrial projects.Defending the decision to drop the Parandur project, the Minister said the villages in and around Parandur had a long history of rice cultivation, along with Cultivation of groundnut , Pulses and sugarcane.Keerthana said the availability of good water bodies enabled cultivation even in periods of inadequate rainfall. The area also has two canals that naturally divert water towards the Adyar river and Chembarambakkam lake.“Those water flows should not be obstructed,” she said, warning that disrupting the drainage network could increase the risk of flooding in Chennai.Law and Electricity Minister CTR Nirmal Kumar also defended the government’s decision, and said the previous government had neither obtained environmental clearance nor undertaken the required Environment Impact Assessment for the project.Of the 5,846 acres identified for the Parandur airport, patta land accounted for 3,774 acres, while agricultural land constituted 2,681 acres. Government land accounted for 1,972 acres, including nearly 1,558 acres of water bodies, Kumar said.The government is also pursuing airport projects elsewhere in the State including in Hosur and Ramanathapuram, it added.At Hosur, an airport is proposed in Krishnagiri district to meet rising passenger and cargo demand in the Hosur-Krishnagiri industrial belt.In Ramanathapuram district, the government has proposed a greenfield airport to improve connectivity, promote tourism in Rameswaram and surrounding destinations and support regional economic development.Infrastructure works for the new Vellore airport have also been completed, and the airport will commence operations after obtaining approval from the competent authority.Published on August 25, 2026
