TN Scraps Parandur Second Airport Project, Plans Expansion at Meenambakkam

The Tamil Nadu government has scrapped the proposed second airport project at Parandur and will search for an alternative location to build Chennai's second airport, Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay announced in the State Assembly on August 24, 2026.

The decision comes four years after the controversial and anticipated project was first announced for the region.

Alongside the decision to look for an alternative site, expansion plans are underway at the existing Chennai airport in Meenambakkam. The Airports Authority of India is set to construct Terminal 5 in the northwestern area of the airport campus. Passengers will be able to access the new terminal via an elevated corridor.

The existing airport at Meenambakkam currently handles 30 million passengers annually. Ongoing construction of Terminal 3, which will handle international flights alongside Terminal 2, is projected to increase the facility's overall capacity to 35 million passengers per year.

Once Terminal 5 is completed, the total annual handling capacity of Chennai's Meenambakkam airport is expected to rise further to 55 million passengers.