Tamil Nadu has not requested site change for Parandur airport, Union Minister says

The Tamil Nadu government has not requested the Central government to change the site of the proposed second airport for Chennai in Parandur, Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol has confirmed. This clarification comes amid a pause in the land acquisition process for the project, though no official order has been issued to drop the airport plan entirely.

Speaking in the Rajya Sabha, Minister Mohol provided these details in response to a question raised by DMK MP P. Wilson regarding the status of the infrastructure project.

According to the minister, the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) granted in-principle approval for the airport to the Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation Limited (TIDCO) in April 2025. This approval followed an application that TIDCO had submitted to the ministry earlier, in September 2024.

The initial application submitted by TIDCO outlined that the estimated project cost for Phase I of the proposed Parandur airport would be nearly ₹10,500 crore.

Minister Mohol also outlined the division of responsibilities for the project's execution. He stated that the responsibility for the implementation of such airport projects lies with either the airport developer concerned or the State government. This includes the processes of acquiring land, securing the necessary funding, and obtaining environmental clearances for the site.

Currently, the land acquisition process for the Parandur airport project has been paused by the Tamil Nadu government. However, the minister emphasized that, so far, no official Government Order has been released by the state government to drop or cancel the project.