Site for second airport in Chennai to be finalised soon

CHENNAI: The location of the proposed Greenfield airport in Chennai could be finalised in a day or two. State Industries Minister Thangam Thennarasu is likely to meet the Union Civil Aviation Ministry in the national capital on Tuesday to get the “site clearance” for the new airport.

While government sources admitted to the likelihood of the meeting happening in a day or two, a reply given by Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation, General VK Singh, in the Rajya Sabha on Monday, confirmed that the Tamil Nadu government was required to obtain the “site clearance” from the Civil Aviation Ministry under the provisions of the Greenfield Airport Policy.

Minister Thennarasu is said to have scheduled a meeting with the Civil Aviation Ministry on Tuesday to get the site clearance for the new airport.

Rajya Sabha member P Wilson raised a query this morning in the Upper House on the status of the Obstacle Limitation Surface Survey (OLS) for Pannur and Parandur (two feasible sites for the airport) for selecting an appropriate site. Singh replied that the State government had identified 4 potential sites and had requested the AAI to carry out the inspection to find their suitability for airport development.

AAI has found Parandur and Pannur comparatively more feasible for airport development and has forwarded its pre-feasibility report to Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation Limited.

“It also advised them to carry out OLS survey and charting work at the sites,” Singh added.

He also informed the Upper House that the State government is required to take necessary action on AAI’s pre-feasibility report and seek site clearance from the Union Civil Aviation Ministry under the provisions of the Greenfield Airports Policy.