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Tamil Nadu may not need another international airport as its existing airports are operating below capacity, according to a report released by the Uvakai Research Foundation on Thursday, August 27.
On August 24, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay announced that the proposed Parandur airport project would be dropped. Following the announcement, questions were raised over whether the state could achieve its target of becoming a $1.5 trillion economy without increasing its international air connectivity, particularly when compared with cities such as Bengaluru, Mumbai and Delhi.
The Uvakai Research Foundation’s study examines Tamil Nadu’s aviation demand, existing airport infrastructure, expansion possibilities and alternative modes of transport amid the debate over the proposed airport. Its central question is: Does Tamil Nadu need a new international airport?
The foundation said it undertook the study against the backdrop of protests by residents of Parandur, who have been opposing the proposed airport for more than 1,200 days. Residents have raised concerns over the impact of the project on agricultural land, water bodies, drainage, flooding, livelihoods and displacement. According to the report, the proposed project could affect approximately 1,386 hectares of agricultural land and 34 water bodies.
Tamil Nadu currently has six airports, four of which handle both international and domestic flights, while two handle domestic flights. Together, the airports have a capacity to handle 51.1 million passengers annually. However, in 2024-25, they handled approximately 29.4 million passengers, meaning only about 58% of the available capacity was utilised, the report said.
Chennai airport, which has a stated capacity of 35 million passengers annually, handled approximately 22.4 million passengers in 2024-25. This left around 12.6 million passengers’ worth of capacity unused.
A similar gap exists in air cargo, according to the report. Chennai’s airports have a stated capacity to handle approximately 11.02 lakh metric tonnes of air cargo, but handled only 3.79 lakh metric tonnes, meaning about 34% of the available capacity was utilised.
The report estimates that Chennai’s existing cargo capacity will be sufficient until around 2046-47 under the current growth scenario.
It also highlights the difference between air and sea cargo capacity in the region. Chennai has the Kamarajar and Kattupalli ports, which together can handle around 117-120 million tonnes of cargo. In comparison, approximately 0.379 million tonnes of cargo is handled through Chennai airport.
“Passengers and cargo are the two things that travel by air. The existing capacity of the airport has not been fully utilised yet,” the report argues.
The report also points to the underutilisation of Chennai airport’s secondary runway and says the constraints affecting its use need to be examined.
Vidhubala of the Uvakai Research Foundation said comparisons between Chennai and Bengaluru need to take into account their different geographical and logistical advantages.
“Bengaluru does not have ports, as the city is not located near the sea, and it is dependent on airways for transporting cargo. But Chennai has two major ports as well as an airport, which means we have access to both air and sea cargo,” she said.
The report also looks at the possibility of high-speed rail becoming an alternative to air travel in the future. It notes that the Chennai-Bengaluru and Chennai-Hyderabad corridors together account for around 3.04 million passengers annually. A significant proportion of these passengers could potentially shift to high-speed rail if such services become available, the report said.
According to the study, between 2016-17 and 2024-25, Tamil Nadu’s Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) increased by around 137%, while air passenger traffic increased by only 27%.
The foundation’s key argument is that Tamil Nadu’s existing airports are yet to reach their full capacity. It also points out that the proposed expansion of Chennai airport, including the addition of Terminals 3 and 5, could further increase its passenger-handling capacity.
The foundation has called on the government to first ensure that existing airport infrastructure is fully utilised and to conduct a detailed assessment of future aviation demand before deciding whether a new airport is necessary.
This story was written by a student interning with TNM.
