Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay announced the cancellation of the proposed Parandur airport project in the state assembly on Monday, a move that has drawn sharp criticism from former BJP state president K. Annamalai. Annamalai warned that this decision, without an immediate alternative site, could significantly impede Tamil Nadu's development for at least a decade.
The Need for a Second Chennai Airport
The Parandur project was initially conceived as Chennai's second airport to alleviate pressure on the existing Chennai International Airport. The current airport faces severe land constraints, making it incapable of accommodating the city's projected growth in air traffic. The Airports Authority of India had previously conducted a feasibility study, leading to the selection of Parandur as the preferred site.
The proposed greenfield airport at Parandur was planned to span 5,746 acres. Its first phase aimed to handle 20 million passengers annually, with an eventual capacity projected to reach 100 million passengers per year. The Centre had also acknowledged the limitations of the existing facility and supported the state's pursuit of a new greenfield airport.
Annamalai's Warning: A Decade-Long Setback
K. Annamalai emphasized that cancelling the Parandur project without simultaneously proposing a new location would lead to a protracted delay. He detailed the extensive process involved in establishing a new airport:
- Finding a suitable site.
- Obtaining approvals from the Central Government and various statutory bodies.
- Issuing tenders for construction.
- Acquiring the necessary land.
- Securing operational licenses.
According to Annamalai, even if the state government were to swiftly identify an alternative site, these crucial steps could collectively take at least ten years before a new airport becomes operational. He cautioned that during this period, other Indian states would continue to advance their infrastructure, potentially leaving Tamil Nadu behind.
Chennai's Airport Falling Behind
Annamalai highlighted that the existing Chennai airport, occupying approximately 1,300 acres, lags significantly behind other major Indian airports in terms of size and passenger experience. For comparison:
- Hyderabad's airport spans around 5,500 acres.
- Bengaluru's airport covers about 4,000 acres.
- Navi Mumbai's planned airport is on 2,866 acres.
- Delhi's airport occupies roughly 5,100 acres.
With a capacity of 30 million passengers per year, Chennai ranks fifth in India, behind Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad. Annamalai also pointed out that the Chennai airport is not classified as a Code F airport due to inadequate taxiways and aerobridges, preventing it from handling large aircraft like the A380, which Bengaluru and Hyderabad can accommodate.
Uncertainty Over Acquired Land
The former BJP leader also raised questions regarding the land already acquired for the Parandur project. Reports indicated that approximately 1,700 acres out of the required 5,746 acres had already been procured by the Tamil Nadu government. Annamalai pressed the state government to clarify its intentions for this acquired land, urging for a prompt resolution to prevent the airport project from remaining in limbo.
"Parties may come and go. Governments will change. But 20 years later, when the people of Tamil Nadu look back, they should not feel suffocated by a sick building that we would still call an airport, because the administrators of the day lacked the ability to forecast," Annamalai stated, underscoring the long-term implications of the decision.