Tamil Nadu scraps Parandur Chennai airport, considers Cheyyur and Gummidipoondi
Tamil Nadu just scrapped plans for Chennai's second airport at Parandur, and now the search is on for a fresh site.
The land already bought (1,802 acres) is getting repurposed for industry.
The two new options in the mix: Cheyyur in Chengalpattu and Gummidipoondi in Tiruvallur.
Cheyyur defense nod, Gummidipoondi bird concerns
Cheyyur needs a thumbs-up from defense because it's close to Air Force airspace, while Gummidipoondi faces concerns about birds near Pulicat Lake.
A site inspection is expected to happen anytime, and a pre-feasibility study will be done after the site is finalized before any final call.
Meenambakkam T5 planned amid Bengaluru competition
Since a new airport could take five to seven years to build, the government is focusing on expanding Meenambakkam with a T5 Terminal to boost passenger capacity from 35 million to 55 million.
But delays in upgrades and corridor construction have experts worried that Chennai might lose ground to Bengaluru, which keeps leveling up its airport game.