Tamil Nadu Shortlists Cheyyur, Gummidipoondi Sites for Chennai’s Second Airport; AAI Asked to Conduct Pre-Feasibility Study

Chennai: The Tamil Nadu government has shortlisted Cheyyur in Chengalpattu district and Manellore near Gummidipoondi in Tiruvallur district as potential sites for Chennai’s second airport and has asked the Airports Authority of India (AAI) to conduct a pre-feasibility study, according to reports.

The move comes nearly a week after Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay announced that the State government would drop the proposed greenfield airport project at Parandur and explore alternative locations. Cheyyur and Gummidipoondi have now emerged as the two leading contenders for the project.

The State government has requested AAI to inspect both locations and assess their suitability before making a recommendation. A final decision on the site is expected to be taken after AAI submits its pre-feasibility report.

A team from the Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (TIDCO) has already completed an initial round of inspections at both locations.

Cheyyur and Manellore locations

The proposed Cheyyur site is located in Chengalpattu district, around 40 km from Puducherry airport, nearly 35 km from Kalpakkam and approximately 100 km from Chennai’s existing airport at Meenambakkam.

The other site is at Manellore, near Gummidipoondi, in Tiruvallur district. It is around 50 km from Chennai city and 35 km from Sriharikota.

However, both sites could face regulatory and technical hurdles.

For Cheyyur, the State may require clearance from the Ministry of Defence, as the area falls within airspace controlled by the Indian Air Force station at Tambaram. The Manellore site also has its own challenges, with its location requiring detailed assessment before it can be considered suitable for an airport.

AAI Inspection Next

As the next step, a team of AAI officials is expected to visit both sites and conduct detailed inspections. The authority will then prepare its pre-feasibility report and recommend the more suitable location.

The report is expected to be submitted within the next few months. The Tamil Nadu government has asked AAI to expedite the process as it wants to move ahead with the second airport project at the earliest.

However, even after a site is finalised, the project is unlikely to become operational immediately. Officials estimate that building a new airport at the selected location could take at least five to seven years.

The decision to consider new sites follows the State government's move away from the Parandur airport project, which had been planned over 5,846 acres. The government had already acquired 1,802 acres for that project, with the acquired land now expected to be used for industrial purposes.

With the Parandur plan shelved, the selection of a new site means that several stages of the airport development process will have to begin again, including feasibility assessment, site clearance and subsequent project planning.

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