Chennai Second Airport: Grounded till take off
Almost three decades after the idea of building a second airport for Chennai first mooted, the Tamil Nadu government is back at the drawing board looking for a new site after the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government scrapped the Parandur airport project.
Cheyyur and Gummidipoondi were among the 11 locations initially considered when the search for a second airport project began nearly seven to eight years ago. It is not clear at this point why these two locations never made it to the shortlist of four locations – Parandur, Pannur, Thiruporur and Padalam. Although Pannur was also discussed, it is not clear if he is still in the race.
Also read | Cancellation of Parandur airport project is an irreversible setback for Tamil Nadu: MK Stalin
Cheyyur Airspace under IAF
Sources say that if the Cheyyur site is pursued, the state government may have to get the defense ministry’s approval as the site could fall under the airspace controlled by the Indian Air Force, Tambaram. At Gummidipoondi, Pulicat Lake is closer to the site and it remains to be seen how the movement of birds will affect air traffic or not. “No decision has been taken on the ground yet. The state government will take a decision soon,” says a source. It is understood that an on-site inspection is expected at any time.
After the site is completed, the government has to ask the Airports Authority of India (AAI) to conduct a pre-feasibility study and issue recommendations. Subsequently, the invitation of the consultant and the application for the construction site permit will begin again.
After the Sriperumbudur airport project proposed in the mid-2000s was shelved, Parandur was the closest to hosting a second airport in Chennai. Now all the construction procedures of the second airport have to start from scratch.
For the second airport project planned at Parandur in Kancheepuram district covering an area of 5,846 acres, the government has completed acquisition of 1,802 acres, which Industries Minister Keerthana said will be used for industrial purposes.
Capacity building in Meenambakkam
Since it would take at least five to seven years to build an airport at any chosen location, the state government shifted its immediate focus to increasing the capacity of the existing Meenambakkam airport by building a T5 terminal (near the remote bays and between the main and secondary runways). Completion of the Phase 2 upgrade (construction of Terminals T2 and T3) will increase the airport’s capacity to 35 million passengers per year, and the handling capacity will further expand to 55 million passengers per year after the completion of Terminal T5. An elevated corridor from National Highway 32 needs to be constructed to allow air passengers to enter Terminal T5.
But air travelers and aviation experts say several projects being executed by AAI are already facing delays. For example, the original date for the modernization of the 2nd phase was 2022. However, it has not yet been completed.
Construction of the elevated corridor and terminal will take years, says an aviation expert. He notes that a detailed project report needs to be prepared for the T5 terminal and the elevated corridor. “Revising the proposals, calling for bids and then completing the entire process could take at least five years if AAI meets all deadlines and the project is executed at a careful pace,” he adds.
Sandhya Vedullapalli, a frequent flier, says she faced several problems at the Chennai airport. “It is painful to walk to the multi-level parking lot to board the cabin. They have been upgrading the airport together for years and building an integrated terminal, and this is causing inconvenience to so many people. It is not easy to push a wheelchair and walk outside the airport because it is not a smooth continuous road,” he adds.
Be it the condition of the washrooms or the number of dining and shopping options, things are much better at Bengaluru and Hyderabad airports, says Ms. Vedullapalli, adding that if a second airport was already built at Sriperumbudur, air travelers would not suffer. “There should be political continuity. One government will propose it, another will drop it. Until another airport is built, it will be the air passengers who will have to put up with various problems, and it is unfair,” he adds.
The government should soon find a place to address the city’s development needs, even while balancing environmental concerns.
Direct flights to Bengaluru
A. Sankar, another frequent flyer, says Chennai has lost out on adding direct flights to many destinations, while Bengaluru seems to have caught up in time. There used to be direct flights to Paris and Tokyo, but they are no longer available from Chennai. Meanwhile, Bengaluru now boasts direct flights to Tokyo, Paris, Amsterdam, Vietnam and the Maldives. “Chennai really needs direct flights to many European destinations and initiatives need to be taken,” he adds.
Industry leaders reiterated the need for state-of-the-art airport infrastructure as it will not only help attract more airlines and connect the city directly to more domestic and international destinations, but also boost the economy. The “Aerotropolis” model now rapidly emerging revolves around airport-led development where businesses, commercial complexes, residential communities and logistics industries spring up near the airport. Ravichandran Purushothaman, Chairman, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) South Region, summed it up quite well: “An airport is much more than a piece of transport infrastructure; for a capital city and economic powerhouse like Chennai, it is a strategic vehicle for economic growth, global competitiveness, trade, tourism, investment and job creation.”
In its statement, CII notes that the modernization of the Meenambakkam airport, while essential, is only a medium-term plan for the city. “Quick site selection (for the second airport) is critical and once completed, the project should be expedited and executed with urgency to ensure that Chennai maintains its competitive edge among India’s leading industrial and investment destinations.”
“Dear Mistake”
Vijay Gopalan, former CFO of AirAsia India, says the decision to scrap the Parandur airport project will prove to be a costly mistake that will set back Chennai’s growth by at least 10 years. Although the government claims that the airport itself does not decide on investments, it does not admit that such decisions reflect poorly on the city’s image, he says. “Perception matters so much when you have to attract young talent. While I am glad that the government is finally waking up to the need to set up more Global Capability Centers (GCCs) for young talent and delegates to choose the city, we need better social infrastructure and of course a good airport. A world-class airport substantially enhances the image of a city and its branding. The sooner we understand this, the better Bengal will stagnate. Hyderabad is growing at a phenomenal rate,” he says.
Chennai’s primary competitive advantage lies in its robust manufacturing ecosystem, which continues to attract significant global investment to Tamil Nadu, says Dinesh K. Krishnan, National Treasurer, The Air Cargo Agents Association of India. “However, the current air cargo handling is not at par with this industrial pace and is far behind the operational efficiency provided by the privately managed airports in Bengaluru and Hyderabad,” he says.
“Improve Usage”
There is also a debate in several quarters whether Tamil Nadu needs a new international airport. The Uvakai Research Foundation, in its recent report, states that there is room to improve the use of the existing airport before embarking on the construction of another large airport. But aviation experts point out that unless a newly built second airport operated by a private operator is set up, the movement of aircraft and cargo in Chennai cannot increase significantly. From the third position in passenger transport, Chennai moved to the fifth position. “Bengaluru and Hyderabad airports are growing remarkably due to their efficiency,” says an expert.
Mr. Krishnan adds that trade logistics today face serious operational hurdles and exporters and freight forwarders often complete customs clearance in Chennai only to transport their cargo in customs-locked trucks to the Bengaluru airport. “This detour is due to Bengaluru’s faster cargo handling, lower airfreight rates and overall operational predictability,” he adds. With professionalized terminal management, the cargo facility in Chennai can effectively serve regional trade for the next 10 to 15 years while long-term plans for a second airport materialize, he says.