Defence Ministry Grants Site Clearance for Chennai Greenfield Airport Project

The Ministry of Defence has granted conditional approval for the establishment of a Greenfield Airport at Parandur near Chennai in Tamil Nadu, according to Union Minister of State for the Ministry of Civil Aviation, VK Singh. The approval, subject to specified conditions, was conveyed to the Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (TIDCO) on November 8 for information and compliance.

The journey to this approval began on April 11, when the Defence Ministry recommended a reevaluation of the proposed Greenfield Airport at Parandur due to its close proximity to Tambaram, Arakkonam, and Chennai International Airport. Concerns were raised about potential restrictions on military operations and adverse aerospace safety implications for all users.

The Defence Ministry's comments were communicated to the Project Proponent (TIDCO) on April 21 and to the Airports Authority of India. Following this, the comments of TIDCO and the Airports Authority of India were submitted to the Ministry of Defence for consideration.

Ultimately, the Ministry of Defence has granted its No Objection for the site clearance of the Greenfield Airport at Parandur, situated approximately 60 km west of Chennai in the Kanchipuram district. It has been reported that the Tamil Nadu government has administratively sanctioned the development of the new airport.

The envisioned investment for the project amounts to ₹20,000 crore, with plans to accommodate an annual influx of 10 crore people. The Greenfield Airport will feature two runways, terminal buildings, taxiways, an apron, and a cargo terminal.

Currently, the Chennai airport handles around 2.2 crore passengers annually. With ongoing modernization efforts, it is expected to accommodate 3.5 crore people per year for the next seven years.

HBL