The Union Ministry of Civil Aviation has not received any communication from the newly elected Tamil Nadu government led by the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) regarding whether it intends to proceed with or shelve the proposed ₹27,000-crore greenfield airport at Parandur, according to highly placed sources in the Ministry, as reported in The Hindu Businessline.
Sources in the Civil Aviation Ministry said the Centre had not been informed of the State government’s plans for the proposed second airport for Chennai. They stated that the Ministry was unaware whether the TVK government intended to put the project on hold or move forward with it.
The sources further said that the Union government had already granted the necessary approval for the acquisition of land for the project during the previous administration and that any decision regarding the future of the airport now rested entirely with the Tamil Nadu government.
According to the sources, the “ball is now in the State’s court,” indicating that the Centre is awaiting a formal decision from the State government before taking any further steps.
Uncertainty Over Project After Change In Government
The clarification comes amid growing uncertainty surrounding the future of the proposed second airport for Chennai following the formation of the TVK government.
Speculation over the project’s future has intensified after senior ministers in the new government indicated that environmental concerns would not be sacrificed for development projects. Their remarks have fuelled reports that the Parandur project could be shelved in favour of identifying an alternative location.
TN Officials To Meet Centre
Meanwhile, sources said a delegation of senior Tamil Nadu government officials is scheduled to visit New Delhi on Monday to hold discussions with Central government officials on various externally aided projects funded by international agencies, including the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
However, it remains unclear whether the Parandur airport project will figure in those discussions.
Vijay Had Opposed Project Before Becoming Chief Minister
Before assuming office as Chief Minister, C. Joseph Vijay had expressed support for villagers and farmers opposing the Parandur airport project, citing concerns over displacement, loss of livelihoods, and environmental damage.
Since the TVK government assumed office, there has been widespread speculation that the project has been reviewed internally. However, no official details of any such review have been made public.
Senior officials in the Tamil Nadu government have also denied reports that discussions on the future of the project have already taken place.
DMK Declared Project A ‘Special Project’
Before demitting office, the previous DMK government issued one of its final gazette notifications declaring the Parandur New Greenfield Airport Project a “Special Project” under the Tamil Nadu Land Consolidation (for Special Projects) Act, 2023.
The notification was issued on March 2, 2026, just days before the Election Commission’s Model Code of Conduct came into force ahead of the Assembly elections.
Despite the project’s designation as a Special Project, government sources said there is no legal bar preventing the new TVK government from discontinuing it if it chooses to do so.
Industry Warns Against Scrapping Airport
Industry representatives have cautioned that abandoning the proposed airport would be a major setback for Chennai’s aviation sector.
According to industry stakeholders, Chennai has already been losing passenger and cargo traffic to neighbouring metropolitan cities such as Hyderabad and Bengaluru. They argued that a second international airport is necessary to accommodate future growth and help the city regain its competitiveness as an aviation and logistics hub.
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