Finally after a waiting period of more than a decade, Chennai city will have a second airport at Parandur soon.
On Monday, in response to a question raised by the Rajya Sabha MP from Tamil Nadu Kanimozhi NVN Somu, the Minister of State for Civil Aviation V.K. Singh said the Tamil Nadu government has shortlisted Parandur as the site for development of the Greenfield airport, the serving airport for the city. The State government will now have to submit a proposal to the Ministry of Civil Aviation for 'grant of site clearance' for the finalised site.
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Talks to establish a second airport for the city resumed early this year and the State government requested the Airports Authority of India to execute a feasibility study for this project. Four sites--Pannur, Parandur, Tiruporur and Padalam-- were identified and AAI team went to the location of each these sites and later submitted a report.
Pannur and Parandur were then shortlisted and after studying various prospects in both these locations, the State government held a meeting with the Centre recently to choose the site.
Post that meeting, Tamil Nadu Industries Minister Thangam Thennarasu said the Civil Aviation Ministry had expressed its willingness to go along with what the State Goverment recommended.
