Tamil Nadu drops Parandur airport plan after local resistance, seeks alternative site

The Tamil Nadu government has abandoned plans for a new ₹27,400 crore greenfield airport at Parandur following sustained resistance from local villagers, according to reports on 25 August 2026.

The project had been proposed as an alternative or supplement to Chennai International Airport. Land acquisition and environmental clearances had already drawn protests over displacement and agricultural loss.

Chief Minister M.K. Stalin's administration decided to drop the Parandur site and look for an alternative location. Minister Keerthana confirmed that industrial projects could still be considered on land already acquired, but the airport itself will not proceed there.

The decision ends years of planning and preliminary work. Villagers had organised repeated demonstrations and legal challenges. The government cited the strength of local opposition as the decisive factor.

Chennai's existing airport continues to handle growing traffic. The search for a second airport remains open, with several other sites under informal consideration. No timeline for a fresh proposal has been set.

The episode illustrates the difficulty of large infrastructure projects when land acquisition meets organised local resistance. For the affected villages the immediate outcome is relief from displacement; for the state the task of identifying a viable new site begins again.