Tamil Nadu scraps Parandur airport plan, risking decade-long lag behind rival hubs

Tamil Nadu has scrapped plans for a greenfield airport in Parandur, fulfilling a campaign promise by Chief Minister Vijay, potentially setting the state's aviation infrastructure a decade behind rival hubs like Bengaluru and Hyderabad. The ₹27,400 crore project, planned on over 5,000 acres, was expected to handle up to 100 million passengers annually. Chennai's Meenambakkam airport handled 23 million passengers in FY26, far below Bengaluru's 44 million, with industry leaders warning that every year of delay means lost investment. The government is now studying alternative sites like Manalur and Cheyyur, while 1,802 acquired acres may be used for eco-friendly industries. Critics, including former ministers, call the decision a political mistake that could push the state's $400 billion economy backward.