Stalin to announce Greenfield airport location: Thangam Thennarasu

CHENNAI: State industries minister Thangam Thennarsu on Tuesday said that Chief Minister M K Stalin would make a formal announcement on the establishment of the proposed Greenfield airport of the city soon.

Talking to media persons after meeting Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia at the national capital Tuesday afternoon to secure the ‘site clearance” for the Greenfield airport, Thangam Thennarasu said that they (state government) had proposed four sites for the Chennai Greenfield airport, but the AAI (Airport Authority of India) did not find two sites in the south of Chennai feasible for the airport. “AAI found Parandur and Paranur sites near Sriperumbudur feasible for the project. Today, we held a discussion with Scindia for obtaining the site clearance. After the clearance, we will consult the Chief Minister and submit proposals for the same.”

Describing the meeting as ‘useful’, the minister said that they have briefed the feasibilities of both the locations during the meeting and the chief minister would formally announce the location later. Adding that they also raised the issue of developing an MRO (maintenance and repair) facility at the existing Chennai airport, the minister said that land required for the facility would be acquired through TIDCO. Expansion of the existing airports in Coimbatore, Madurai, Tiruchy, and Salem, transfer of defense lands, monetisation of land assets handed over to AAI by the State government, retention of land ownership with the Tamil Nadu government for airport expansion projects, and resumption of flight operations from Salem airport were also raised during the meeting.

Asked about the development of Hosur airport, minister Thangam Thennarsu said that the airport operated by Taneja comes under the operational limit of Bengaluru, and consent from them was required for the Hosur airport. “We are holding talks with both of them through TIDCO. We are also considering where land is available and where the airport could be developed, ” the minister added.