The second airport for Chennai, being planned as a greenfield project at Parandur in Kancheepuram district, awaits site clearance from the Centre.
To a question raised by D.M. Kathir Anand (DMK) in the Lok Sabha about the steps taken to speed up the construction of the airport, Union Minister of State for Road Transport, Highways and Civil Aviation Gen. V.K. Singh (retired) said the proposal had been sent to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the Airports Authority of India (AAI), and the Ministry of Defence for their comments.
“After completion of this consultation with stakeholders, the proposal is required to be placed before the Steering Committee on Greenfield Airports for its recommendation, with respect to award of site clearance,” Gen. Singh said in his reply.
The proposal on site clearance was sent to the steering committee of the Ministry of Civil Aviation several months ago by the Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (TIDCO). In February this year, the Minister, in a written response to DMK MP P. Wilson, said the application was considered by the Ministry and that it was holding consultations with AAI, DGCA and MoD regarding the same.
Gen. Singh said issues such as funding or land acquisition were the responsibility of the State government, according to the Greenfield Airports (GFA) Policy, 2008.
He spoke about the phase II modernisation work that is under way at the existing airport in Chennai and that when fully completed, the airport would have the ability to handle 35 million passengers.
