Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu’s remarks questioning the state of Chennai’s airport infrastructure have resurfaced after the Tamil Nadu government announced the cancellation of the proposed ₹20,000-crore Parandur Greenfield Airport project.
On 24 August 2026, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay announced in the State Assembly that his government was dropping the proposed Parandur airport project. The decision came in the backdrop of sustained opposition from farmers and environmental groups over the proposed acquisition of agricultural land and wetlands in the Parandur region.
The government said the decision was in line with Joseph Vijay’s pre-election commitment to the affected farmers and environmental groups. It also announced plans to expand the existing Chennai airport by developing a proposed Terminal 5 while exploring another location for a new airport.
The decision has triggered a political debate over Chennai’s future aviation and infrastructure requirements.
Opposition leaders, including former Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu, staged a walkout from the Assembly over the announcement. Industry bodies have also raised concerns over the impact of delaying Chennai’s second airport.
CREDAI Chennai warned that the absence of a second large-scale airport could constrain Chennai’s economic growth and affect the city’s ability to attract investments, with neighbouring states potentially benefiting from the shift.
Amid the political debate, an old video of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has been widely reshared, including by DMK leader TRB Rajaa and several civic-focused social media handles.
The video is from an NDA press conference held in April 2026, during which Naidu compared Chennai’s airport infrastructure with those of Hyderabad and Bengaluru and spoke about Andhra Pradesh’s plans to develop new airports.
“Today, where is Chennai? Chennai Airport, one of the oldest airport. Recently they developed again airport. Is it comparable to Hyderabad and Bangalore? When I developed Hyderabad, that is during Vajpayee period, then Bangalore also followed me, that model, after I got that model, that is a PPP model. 5000 acres of land. One of the best airport. Then Karnataka followed that model. Now they improved further, one more terminal, one of the best in India, most experience centre. Now I am building one more airport better than both of these two. That is in Amaravati. Where is Tamil Nadu? Why? Chennai should not be like this. Or Coimbatore, I have seen. Coimbatore once was South India Industrial hub. My Vishakapatnam airport is only 2500 acres land. Amaravati I am planning another 5000 acres of land, second airport.”
Naidu’s remarks have now been cited in the political discourse surrounding the Parandur decision, particularly his question on where Tamil Nadu stands in comparison with neighbouring southern states in airport infrastructure.
This is how one of India’s visionary CMs Honourable CM Chandrababu Naidu avargal compared other airports in South India to the present AAI Chennai Airport.
Will people understand the issue now ? https://t.co/0WS6IBTAdt pic.twitter.com/1Z4ySgLXno
— Dr. T R B Rajaa (@TRBRajaa) August 24, 2026
His comments also highlighted Andhra Pradesh’s plans for airport expansion. Naidu referred to the development of Hyderabad airport during the Vajpayee era, the subsequent development of Bengaluru airport and his plans for another major airport in Amaravati.
The resurfacing of the video comes at a time when Andhra Pradesh is pursuing major aviation infrastructure projects while Tamil Nadu has shelved its proposed second airport for Chennai.
The Parandur project was envisaged as a major greenfield airport to cater to Chennai’s long-term aviation requirements. The proposed airport, estimated to cost around ₹20,000 crore, had faced opposition from sections of the local population over land acquisition and environmental concerns.
With the project now dropped, the Tamil Nadu government has said it will focus on expanding the existing airport through a new terminal while continuing to search for an alternative site for a future greenfield airport.
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