Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Joseph Vijay announced on Monday that his TVK government would abandon the proposed greenfield airport project at Parandur in Kancheepuram district, citing its impact on farmland and the livelihoods of local residents. Speaking in the Assembly, Vijay stated he would fulfill the promise made to people during a public meeting in Vikravandi in October 2024, where he had already voiced opposition to the project. According to Press Trust of India, Vijay said he had visited Eganapuram and other villages on January 20, 2025, and listened to the grievances of people protesting against the proposed airport at Parandur and surrounding villages. "We are dropping Parandur airport. I stand firm with the protesters against the proposed airport," he declared, expressing support for farmers as the backbone of the country. The decision marks a major reversal for a project proposed by the previous DMK government as the site for Chennai's second airport.
Vijay explained that while the existing Meenambakkam airport handles about 30 million passengers annually and a new facility is needed to meet Chennai's growing industrial and cargo needs, the Parandur site should not be the location. As reported by Press Trust of India, the Chief Minister stated that "airports were important for industrial development but should not come at the expense of farmers." He called for an alternative site where minimal agricultural land is affected, stating that the project should not be located in Parandur despite its strategic importance for Chennai's aviation infrastructure. Vijay emphasized that detailed consultations were held with senior officials and experts regarding the establishment of a new airport, but concluded that "this project should not be located in Parandur. The government must reconsider this project." The government will now have to identify a new location for Chennai's second airport and undertake the technical, environmental and administrative assessments required for such a large infrastructure project.
The Parandur site had drawn sustained opposition since its identification, with environmentalists warning that its lakes and wetlands act as natural flood buffers for Chennai and could worsen monsoon flooding if built over. According to reports, residents of Parandur, Ekanapuram and neighbouring villages protested for over 900 days after land acquisition began in earnest following a November 2023 government order. The environmental concerns were compounded by the site's strategic importance as a natural flood protection system for Chennai's urban areas. Villagers in Ekanapuram, one of the areas expected to be affected by the proposed airport, had earlier passed a resolution thanking Vijay for his stand against the Parandur site, with residents welcoming the decision as it ends years of resistance to the proposed airport.
The scrapping of the project has opened a fresh political battle between the ruling TVK and the Opposition DMK. DMK leader Duraimurugan has challenged Vijay to make public the files relating to the airport project, which was initiated during the previous DMK government, questioning the government's account of the project and warning that the Opposition could move a privilege motion in the Assembly if Vijay does not produce the relevant records. Other DMK leaders have criticised the decision, with DMK MLA Thangam Thennarasu arguing that Parandur was the optimal site and warning that cancelling the project could affect industrial investment and push some companies towards neighbouring states. However, for Vijay, the decision allows his government to deliver on one of its prominent political commitments while maintaining that Tamil Nadu still needs additional aviation capacity, with the government choosing to stand with the protesters while insisting that Tamil Nadu's infrastructure expansion must continue at a different location.
