Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation Limited (TIDCO) officials have reportedly completed preliminary inspections. The Airports Authority of India (AAI)  is expected to conduct detailed feasibility studies before the government selects a final location.

Why Were Cheyyur and Manellore Shortlisted?

Cheyyur is situated near to southern Chennai, Chengalpattu and Puducherry-side areas, while Manellore is situated near to North Chennai, Tiruvallur and the adjoining Andhra Pradesh industrial belt.

Both locations are also believed to have the potential to provide the large and continuous land required for an airport while reducing the agricultural, environmental and residential impact seen at Parandur. However, the government has not released a comparative study proving these advantages. Their actual suitability will be known only after AAI completes its technical feasibility study.

What are the concerns at Manellore?

Manellore is around 50–60 km from Chennai and approximately 35 km by air from the Sriharikota space centre. AAI must examine whether rocket-launching operations could affect the proposed airport’s air routes.

The study must also check nearby waterbodies, migratory-bird movements, reserve forests and possible CRZ restrictions. Airport-related building-height restrictions could eventually extend several kilometres beyond the runway boundary.

What are the concerns at Cheyyur?

Cheyyur is approximately 100–120 km from the existing Chennai airport, around 40 km from Puducherry airport and about 35 km from Kalpakkam.

Reports indicate that the area may require defence clearance because its airspace is influenced by the Tambaram Air Force Station. Kalpakkam’s prohibited airspace, coastal zones, wetlands and agricultural lands must also be studied.

What Will AAI Check Before Approving an Airport Site?

For a new airport, AAI and Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) will examine much more than the land inside the proposed boundary. The surrounding region is checked to determine whether aircraft can safely approach, land and depart.

Future building-height restrictions

Once the runway coordinates and elevation are fixed, AAI can prepare a Colour-Coded Zoning Map showing permissible top elevations around the airport. Height-control requirements may extend up to approximately 20 km for a VFR airport or 56 km for an IFR airport, depending on the applicable aviation facilities and regulations

How Long Could the New Airport Take?

The Ministry of Civil Aviation guidelines aim to process site clearance within three months and in-principle approval within another three months after complete applications are submitted. However, defence, environmental, land and public-objection issues can extend this considerably. Ministry of Civil Aviation guidelines

Current reports estimate that land acquisition, approvals and construction may require at least five to seven years after the final site is selected. From the present preliminary-study stage, seven to ten years is a safer overall estimate.

Therefore, even if Cheyyur or Manellore is selected during 2027, the airport is unlikely to become operational immediately; a realistic opening could fall in the early-to-mid 2030s, provided there are no major legal, environmental or land-acquisition delays.

Buyers should avoid airport-based speculation

The government has not released the proposed airport boundaries, affected villages, survey numbers, land requirement or runway alignment. Therefore, advertisements claiming that particular properties are “near the confirmed new airport” may be misleading.

LandLens can help property buyers conduct preliminary checks for CRZ zones, waterbodies, forests and airport-related warnings. However, the actual acquisition area and construction-height restrictions can be confirmed only after the government officially selects and notifies the airport site.

Current status: Cheyyur and Manellore are only under consideration. Neither location has been approved or finalised.

Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay announced the decision in the Tamil Nadu Assembly on August 24, 2026. He said the government would identify another location for Chennai’s second airport and conduct a fresh technical feasibility study before selecting the site.

CM Calls for Airport Site That Minimises Impact on Farmers and Residents

The Chief Minister said the new airport should be developed at a location that causes the least possible impact on agricultural land and residential areas.

Recalling his visit to Eganapuram and nearby villages on January 20, 2025, Vijay said he had personally heard the concerns of residents opposing the airport project across Parandur and the 12 surrounding villages. Describing farmers as the backbone of the country, he reaffirmed his support for those fighting to protect their agricultural land.

He clarified that he supports industrial development and recognises the importance of airports in driving economic growth.

Parandur Airport Project: Site Selection and Project Scope

Parandur was selected in 2022 after four locations—Parandur, Pannur, Thiruporur and Padalam—were examined. The proposal subsequently received site clearance and in-principle approval from the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation.

The planned airport was to cover approximately 5,746 acres across 13 villages. Project estimates reported at different stages ranged from around ₹27,000 crore to ₹29,143 crore.

What Happens to the Land Already Acquired?

A considerable amount of land had already been secured for the airport.

By November 2025, the government had reportedly purchased around 1,100 acres through 1,075 registered sale deeds and paid approximately ₹680 crore to landowners. Around 1,500 acres was also reported to be under government control.

The State had announced compensation ranging from ₹35 lakh to ₹60 lakh per acre for specified agricultural lands. Higher amounts were fixed in certain cases based on guideline value and private negotiations.

However, the Assembly announcement did not clarify what will happen to land already purchased or acquired for the project. No official decision has yet been announced on whether this land will be returned to former owners, retained by the government or used for another purpose.

What Happens to the Parandur Metro Corridor?

A 53-km elevated Chennai Metro extension had been planned from Poonamallee to Parandur through Sunguvarchatram.

The proposed corridor was divided into:

• Phase I: Poonamallee to Sunguvarchatram
• Phase II: Sunguvarchatram to Parandur

The complete corridor was estimated to cost ₹15,906 crore. The previous government had granted administrative approval for ₹2,126 crore towards preparatory work for the first phase.

The Tamil Nadu government has not yet announced whether the Metro project will be continued, modified or stopped following the airport cancellation.

No New Airport Location Announced Yet

The government has confirmed that Chennai will still have a second airport, but it has not yet selected an alternative site.

During the earlier site-selection process, two of the four locations considered were in Chengalpattu district:

• Thiruporur
• Padalam, located about 20 km south of Chengalpattu

However, the Airports Authority of India reportedly deemed both sites unsuitable due to airspace and operational constraints. At the time, Parandur and Pannur were considered more viable options.

Although Pannur, Thiruporur and Padalam were examined earlier, the government has not indicated that any of these locations will be selected for the new airport.

The replacement site will have to undergo fresh technical examination and the required State and Central approval processes.

Fifth Terminal Planned at Chennai Airport

Along with the Parandur announcement, the government proposed expanding the existing Chennai International Airport towards the north-west by constructing a fifth terminal.

The proposed terminal is expected to add capacity for approximately 20 million passengers annually.

Chennai airport recorded 23.02 million passengers during the 2025–26 financial year. Its present designed capacity is approximately 30 million passengers per year. The ongoing Terminal 3 expansion is expected to increase the airport’s total capacity to around 35 million passengers annually.

Detailed information about the fifth terminal’s cost, land requirement, construction schedule and approvals has not yet been released.

DMK Warns of Economic Impact

DMK MLA and former Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu criticised the decision, alleging that Parandur was dropped for political reasons. He argued that abandoning the project could undermine Tamil Nadu’s economic growth, reduce employment opportunities and weaken its ability to attract investment, particularly as the airport was intended to address Chennai’s long-term aviation requirements.

Thennarasu said Parandur was still the most suitable site and warned that cancelling the project could drive industries towards Andhra Pradesh. He added that Tamil Nadu had already lost the proposed Hosur airport.

What Property Buyers Must Verify

The cancellation of the airport project changes Parandur’s official infrastructure status. No alternative airport site has been notified yet. Keeping this in mind, do not be misled by claims such as “the second airport will be set up here.”

Buyers considering land around Parandur or any rumoured alternative location should verify the official planning status, land classification, title records and acquisition notifications before purchasing.

Verified.RealEstate’s Guideline Value Checker, Land Use Checker, Owner Contact Finder and Legal Due Diligence services can help buyers verify property records instead of relying on unconfirmed airport-location claims.

The Parandur greenfield airport was announced in 2022 by the previous DMK government and was planned in Kancheepuram district to reduce pressure on Chennai International Airport.

The proposed airport site was spread across nearly 5,746 acres in Kancheepuram district, covering several villages in Kancheepuram and Sriperumbudur taluks.

The project had already moved through major stages, including site clearance, in-principle approval and land acquisition. Nearly 1,700 acres of land had reportedly been acquired so far. The project had faced strong opposition from residents and farmers, especially from Ekanapuram and surrounding villages.

However, the present government has now taken the position that the airport should not come up at Parandur because of concerns over fertile agricultural land, waterbodies, wetlands and local livelihoods.

The government has clarified that it is not against Chennai getting a second airport. The objection is specifically to Parandur as the location. Officials and experts are expected to look for an alternative site.

Why Parandur Became Controversial

The proposed airport site covered large stretches of farmland and water-rich areas.

🧑‍🌾 Local residents argued that the project would affect fertile agricultural land and disturb waterbodies and wetlands.

🧑‍🌾Farmers feared losing their livelihoods due to displacement and the loss of cultivable land.

🧑‍🌾Environmentalists also expressed concerns that the project could disrupt natural drainage patterns, increase flood risks, and cause long-term ecological damage.

For residents who have been protesting for several years, this is a major political and emotional victory. For them, Parandur airport was not just an infrastructure project. It was a direct threat to their homes, farms, water sources and way of life.

Industry Warns of Setback

Industry representatives have said that dropping the project after approvals and land acquisition may hurt Tamil Nadu’s growth plans.

V.N. Shivashankar, senior vice-president of the Southern India Chamber of Commerce and Industry, has said that Tamil Nadu should not immediately scrap the project after securing major approvals. According to him, Chennai needs a modern airport, and cancelling the project after years of planning could hurt the State’s development prospects.

For a city like Chennai, which competes with Bengaluru, Hyderabad and other major investment destinations, airport capacity is not a small issue. A delayed second airport may affect long-term competitiveness.

Finding a New Airport Site Will Not Be Easy

Aviation experts have also pointed out that finding a new site for an airport is a long and technically complicated process.  Before Parandur was chosen, the government had already studied multiple locations.

Airport sites are not selected only based on land availability. They must meet several aviation, safety and infrastructure requirements, including: suitable airspace, wind conditions, runway alignment, obstacle-free approach paths, environmental clearances, land acquisition feasibility and good road and rail connectivity.

If the government starts the site-selection process again, identifying a new site itself may take at least one year. After that, the Airports Authority of India may have to conduct pre-feasibility studies. Site clearance and in-principle approval may take another two years. Land acquisition, construction and operational readiness may then take another five to six years.

This means Chennai’s second airport timeline could be pushed back by nearly eight to ten years or even more.

What Happens to the Land Already Acquired?

The biggest unanswered question now is the fate of the nearly 1,700 acres already acquired for the Parandur airport.

Since the government has only now announced its decision regarding Parandur, several key issues are yet to be clarified.

In the coming days, the government is expected to spell out what will happen to the acquired land—whether it will be returned to landowners, retained for another public purpose, transferred to a government land bank, or kept pending until a final decision is taken.

The matter is likely to attract close attention because compensation has reportedly been paid in many cases. For landowners, the focus will now be on the government’s next steps and whether any mechanism will be considered for restoring land and addressing related concerns.

What the Land Acquisition Act Says

Under Section 101 of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013, if acquired land remains unutilised for five years from the date of taking possession, it shall be returned to the original owners or their legal heirs, or transferred to the government land bank through the prescribed process.

While the law provides for the possibility of land being restored if an acquisition project is abandoned, what will actually happen if the Parandur project is officially dropped remains uncertain. The outcome will depend on factors such as whether possession has been taken, whether compensation has been paid, the acquisition route used and the government’s final decision.

Conclusion

The Parandur airport decision has created both relief and uncertainty. Farmers and residents see it as a victory for land, water and livelihood protection. Industry leaders, however, fear that Chennai’s second airport may now be delayed by many years.

The next important announcement will be the new airport site. Until then, the fate of the acquired Parandur land remains the biggest legal and political question.

The proposed Parandur Greenfield Airport was planned as Chennai’s second airport — a massive infrastructure project expected to reduce pressure on the existing Chennai International Airport and support future passenger, cargo, industrial, and real estate growth around Kanchipuram, Sriperumbudur, and western Chennai.

But the project is no longer just an aviation story.

It has now become a land, livelihood, environmental, political, and real estate risk story.

With land acquisition moving forward, villagers continuing their resistance, and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam leader Vijay’s earlier opposition to the Parandur site gaining renewed attention, the project is now facing a fresh layer of uncertainty. Reports state that villagers from Ekanapuram want Vijay to keep his earlier promise to oppose the project, after he had said he was not against development but was against choosing Parandur due to displacement and environmental concerns.

For buyers, landowners, developers, and investors, this means one thing clearly: Parandur cannot be viewed only as a future growth corridor. It must also be viewed as a high-sensitivity due diligence zone.

What Is the Parandur Airport Project?

Parandur Airport is proposed as a greenfield airport near Parandur in Kanchipuram district. It is expected to serve as Chennai’s second major airport, along with the existing airport at Meenambakkam.

The project has been projected as a large aviation hub with major passenger handling capacity, cargo facilities, runways, terminals, road connectivity, and future metro/transport integration. The broad development narrative around Parandur has already influenced land discussions in areas around Parandur, Sriperumbudur, Sunguvarchatram, Kanchipuram, and nearby village belts.

However, the project requires thousands of acres of land, including agricultural lands and village areas. This is where the conflict begins.

Project Progress So Far: Acquisition, Surveys, and Special Project Status

The Tamil Nadu government has already taken several steps to move the project forward. Earlier reports stated that land acquisition had crossed 1,500 acres and that the Social Impact Assessment process was close to completion. Officials also indicated that environmental studies, including the Environmental Impact Assessment and Environmental Management Plan, would follow.

In March 2026, the state declared the Parandur airport as a “Special Project” under the Tamil Nadu Land Consolidation framework. This classification is important because it can help the government streamline land-related processes and speed up approvals for major infrastructure projects.

But this move has also triggered concern among activists and residents, especially because the Land Consolidation framework is seen by critics as allowing faster diversion or consolidation of lands, including areas linked to water bodies and agriculture.

So, on paper, the project is progressing.

On the ground, resistance has not disappeared.

Why Are Villagers Opposing the Parandur Airport?

The strongest opposition has come from villages such as Ekanapuram and nearby affected areas. Residents have raised concerns about displacement, loss of farmland, impact on water bodies, livelihood disruption, and long-term environmental consequences.

According to conflict documentation, multiple villages fall within the wider affected area of the proposed airport project, including Parandur, Ekanapuram, Nelvoy, Thandalam, Gunagarambakkam, Mahadevimangalam, Singilipadi, and others.

The core concern is not simply compensation.

For many villagers, the issue is:
Can money replace land, homes, water resources, village identity, and agricultural livelihood?

That is why this project has continued to attract protests for several years. The dispute is not only about how much compensation is paid. It is also about whether the location itself is appropriate.

The Vijay Factor: Why Political Uncertainty Has Increased

The Parandur project has gained renewed political attention because Vijay had earlier spoken against the choice of Parandur as the airport site. Reports say he had stated that he was not opposed to development, but objected to the Parandur location due to concerns over environmental risk and displacement of families. He had also reportedly promised legal support to protesting residents.

This has created a new question:

If political pressure increases, will the project continue as planned, slow down, be reviewed, or face legal and administrative delays?

That is the uncertainty now surrounding Parandur.

Infrastructure projects of this scale usually depend on multiple layers of approval, land acquisition, environmental clearance, public acceptance, funding, political continuity, and court outcomes. Even if a project has government backing, sustained local resistance and political opposition can affect timelines.

For real estate buyers and investors, this is where caution becomes critical.

Why Real Estate Around Parandur Needs Extra Caution

Whenever a mega infrastructure project is announced, surrounding land prices often begin moving even before the project is completed. Brokers may start marketing agricultural land, village land, layouts, and investment plots using phrases like:

“Near future airport”
“Airport growth zone”
“Best investment before price rise”
“Parandur airport confirmed”
“Metro and airport appreciation guaranteed”

But buyers must understand the difference between announcement-driven speculation and legally safe investment.

What This Means for Landowners, Developers, and Investors

Parandur may offer long-term growth potential, but it also carries acquisition, approval, zoning, environmental, road-access, and timeline risks.

Landowners should verify notification status, compensation, family title, joint-owner consent, encumbrances, and rehabilitation terms before making decisions.

Developers and investors should check acquisition boundaries, zoning, layout approval, road access, and project certainty before buying or aggregating land.

In Parandur, due diligence is not optional — it is essential.

How Verified.RealEstate Can Help Buyers in the Parandur Belt

Before buying land near Parandur or any airport-influenced corridor, buyers can use Verified.RealEstate to reduce risk through structured property checks.

Relevant checks include:
Guideline Value Tool – to compare claimed market value with official guideline value.
CMDA / DTCP Approval Checks – to verify whether layouts and development claims are legally valid.
Temple Property Check and WAQF Property Check – to avoid hidden institutional land risks.
Property Tracker – to monitor future alerts and changes linked to a property.
LandLens AI – to combine online document intelligence with offline verification for safer property decisions.

In a sensitive zone like Parandur, the smartest buyer is not the one who buys first.
The smartest buyer is the one who verifies first with Verified. Realestate.

Final Takeaway: Development, Displacement, and Due Diligence

Parandur Airport is still one of Tamil Nadu’s most important proposed infrastructure projects, but it is also one of the most sensitive.

It represents the larger debate between development and displacement:

• For the government, it is a future airport; for investors, it is a growth corridor
• For villagers, it is home
• For buyers, it is a risk zone unless verified properly.

With land acquisition progressing, local resistance continuing, environmental questions remaining active, and political uncertainty increasing after Vijay’s earlier stand against the project site, the future timeline is not fully predictable.

For anyone buying, selling, investing, or developing near Parandur, the rule is simple: do not buy based on airport hype. Buy only after legal, survey, approval, and acquisition-risk verification. Parandur may become a major growth story, but without due diligence, it can also become a costly property mistake.