CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu’s move to find an alternative site for a second airport for Chennai seems to have taken a back seat. The government was thinking of finalising Parandur, 70km away, when the pandemic struck.
Tidco, the nodal agency for developing greenfield airport, floated a tender before the pandemic but withdrew it after bidders said land had to be identified first.
Tidco sources said Parandur too was not finalised though Airports Authority of India (AAI) officials studied the wind direction, obstacles, proximity to defence airfields or another airport and impact of a no-fly zone and found it suitable. They also checked three other sites including Cheyyur.
The government should decide whether the airport should come up at Sriperumbudur or Parandur.
An AAI official said the state wants a location not too far away in the south of the city. After the government decided not to go ahead with Sriperumbudur, AAI is pushing the government to identify a location for a second airport.
There was pressure from AAI towards end-2017 and early 2018 to find a location because officials felt the project was already delayed.
AAI then started expanding the existing airport — planning an integrated terminal for which construction is on and a satellite terminal between the runways.
Air safety expert and former pilot Mohan Ranganathan said there was no spot which would not interfere in flight operations at Chennai airport. "Defence airfields in Tambaram and Arakkonam would restrict flight operations at the second airport. The location in Sriperumbudur also would have infringed into the approach zone of runway 07 (Pallavaram-end) of Chennai airport."
"There is no need for one now as it may take at least five years for passenger traffic to bounce back to pre-pandemic level at Chennai. Tourist traffic is yet to resume. It may take longer," he added.