CHENNAI: Chennai ’s second airport, which would be set up in Parandur at an estimated cost of Rs 20,000 crore, is likely to handle 10 crore passengers per year, according to a statement issued by Chief Minister MK Stalin.
The Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the airport, which will have two runways, terminal buildings, taxiways, an apron, cargo terminus and other infrastructure, is likely to be prepared once the site clearance is given by the Ministry of Civil Aviation as per the Guidelines for Greenfield Airport-2008, said the chief minister.
Stating that the new airport would be a stepping stone for the State’s development and another milestone in the journey towards making TN a $1 trillion economy, Stalin said the number of visitors to the State, including investors and tourists, has increased continuously. The cost of building the airport is about half of what the Union government estimated (Rs 40,000 crore).
Official sources told TNIE the State government will float a tender to prepare the DPR for the airport. Land acquisition for the project is yet to begin. Meanwhile, official sources said it would take almost 10 years to build the new airport as various clearances are needed. They added that the Chennai Airport’s new terminal and expansion plan would ensure it can handle traffic for the next eight to 10 years.
“It would be able to handle 35 million passengers,” said Chennai Airport director Dr Sharad Kumar. The State is planning to operate both Chennai Airport in Meenambakkam, and the upcoming one at Parandur. Chennai Airport will be expanded on the other side of Adyar River to meet the demand of 50-60 million passengers per annum, for which a masterplan for 50 years is being prepared, said Dr Kumar. The airport will be expanded, and the new one will be set up simultaneously, he added.
‘Second airport could take 10 years to be ready’
CHENNAI: “The government is clear that even with the new airport, the present one will function so the investment isn’t wasted. We will be planning some terminals and cargo complexes,” Dr Kumar stated.
When asked whether the process of expanding the Chennai Airport has begun, the director said talks are on with the Ministry of Defence and State government. On how flight operations will be shared between the airports, he said it’s too early to comment on it.
“The second airport could take almost 10 years to be ready, and by then, many changes would have happened,” he said. Chennai Airport, one of India’s most prominent, spans just 1,317 acres, making it the smallest among India’s major airports.