Tamil Nadu Scraps ₹27,400-Crore Parandur Greenfield Airport Project

The Tamil Nadu government has officially scrapped the proposed greenfield airport project at Parandur in Kancheepuram district, which was planned as Chennai’s second airport. Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay announced the decision in the Legislative Assembly on August 24, 2026, fulfilling an election promise.

Addressing the Assembly, the Chief Minister stated that while Chennai requires a second airport, it cannot come at the expense of agricultural land and farmers' livelihoods. The decision brings an end to the project four years after Parandur was initially selected as the site for the city's second airport.

The proposed Parandur airport project was estimated to cost approximately ₹27,400 crore and required 3,000 acres of fertile agricultural land. The facility was planned to handle up to 100 million air passengers annually.

The cancellation follows sustained protests since 2022 by farmers and residents of villages around Ekanapuram in Kancheepuram district. Local communities had raised serious concerns over environmental damage, loss of waterbodies, destruction of agricultural livelihoods, and the displacement of families.

The decision to drop the project has now brought focus to roughly 1,700 acres of agricultural land that had already been acquired during the tenure of the previous DMK government. Questions remain over how the State will handle these acquired parcels.

Meanwhile, demands are growing for the State government to expedite the search for an alternative site to establish Chennai's second airport.