Chennai, Aug 31:
The Tamil Nadu government is considering a major expansion of the existing Chennai airport at Meenambakkam following its decision to drop the proposed greenfield airport at Parandur.
The proposal is aimed at increasing the passenger-handling capacity of Chennai International Airport as the city’s aviation traffic continues to grow.
The government is examining the possibility of adding a fifth terminal and expanding supporting infrastructure at the existing airport. The expansion could increase the airport’s annual passenger-handling capacity from around three crore to approximately 5.5 crore.
The move comes days after the state government abandoned the Parandur airport project, which had been proposed as a second airport for Chennai.
The Parandur project, estimated at around Rs 27,000 crore, had envisaged an airport spread across nearly 5,746 acres in Kancheepuram district. Strong opposition from farmers and residents over the acquisition of agricultural land had been one of the major challenges facing the project.
The government is now looking at alternative approaches to meet Chennai’s long-term aviation requirements while reducing the impact on agricultural land.
As part of the proposed expansion of Meenambakkam airport, improved road connectivity is also being considered. A new access route through Polichalur and Tharapakkam has been recommended, along with better connectivity to the Tambaram-Maduravoyal bypass.
The proposed improvements are aimed at easing access to the airport and reducing congestion on existing approach roads.
The state is also examining alternative locations for a new airport in the Chennai region, with sites such as Cheyyur and Gummidipoondi reportedly under consideration.
The expansion of Meenambakkam is therefore being viewed as an immediate capacity-enhancement measure while the government continues its search for a suitable site for a future greenfield airport.