Chennai Airport Expansion: 193 Acres Land Proposed By AAI To Meet Annual Demand Of 55 Million Passengers

Airport Authority of India (AAI) has proposed the need for 133 acres of land for the expansion of Chennai Airport and an additional 60 acres for road connectivity, according to Dr Sharad Kumar, the Chennai airport director.

This comes after the Union Minister of Civil Aviation, Jyotiraditya Scindia, stressed the necessity of acquiring 200 acres in order to turn Chennai into the third major hub for civil aviation, behind New Delhi and Mumbai, last week. 

After a joint assessment of the land locations that were available, the idea was presented to Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (TIDCO), added Kumar. 

AAI had earlier asked the state government to acquire 306 acres for the construction of an international terminal and cargo terminal on the other side of the Adyar river.

The AAI and TIDCO undertook a joint survey of six land parcels in and around the Cowl Bazaar region, and concluded that the acquisition cost was too expensive and a lot of families would be affected.

Following that, a revised proposal for 138 acres was sent. According to a senior government official, the state government is reviewing the request and determining the appropriate course of action.

Apart from the government land, there is also private land which has to be acquired for airport expansion, reports The New Indian Express.

Chennai International Airport, one of India's largest airports, is now operating on 1,317 acres of land, the smallest in comparison to other major airports. Every year, the airport serves 22 million passengers.

Following further expansion, the airport will require additional apron bays for aircraft, to handle a projected 55 million passengers. The cargo infrastructure would be changed to make room for the additional apron bays.

The airport's second phase of modernisation is set to be completed by December 2024.

Parandur Airport

TIDCO has, for the second time, extended the deadline for submitting bids to select consultants to prepare the Detailed Techno Economic Report for the Greenfield Airport in Parandur until 27 February.

TIDCO initially issued a tender to appoint the consultant by January 6. This was extended till 6 February.