The Hindu Business Line : Discussions held for Chennai airport project

With growth in passenger traffic through Chennai airport, there is an urgent need to either expand the existing airport or to develop a greenfield project.

Chennai , Nov. 21

A high-level committee comprising officials from the Centre and State met with Chennai airport authorities today for "informal talks" on whether Chennai should get a new airport or whether the existing one should be expanded.

Sources said that with the growth in passenger traffic through Chennai airport, there is an urgent need to either expand the existing airport or to develop a greenfield project.

It was decided to rework expansion plans at the Pallavaram-end of the runway to see if the development could take place without disturbing the local populace.

Several alternative sites on the GST road were discussed but nothing was firmed up, sources said. A technical committee of the AAI will advise the State Government on this issue as and when required, sources said.

Last year, the Civil Aviation Ministry had approved a proposal by the then AIADMK Government for a new airport project. The Government had then said that the Civil Aviation Ministry had approved proposal for a new airport and had sought 1,457 acres to the north of the existing airport free to enable the AAI to implement the project. The State Government had agreed to hand over the land for the project. This was then a revival of an earlier proposal.

Feasibility report

In 2000, the Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation, which had commissioned UK-based consultants Scott, Wilson and Kirkpatrick to do a feasibility report for the project, made a presentation to the Civil Aviation Ministry and the Airports Authority of India.

The international terminal was then handling about 18 lakh passengers a year against its capacity of seven lakh.

The State Government hoped to put in place enough capacity to handle international passenger and cargo growth up to 2040-50.

At that time, the project was expected cost about Rs 1,800 crore with the State Government, Civil Aviation Ministry, the AAI and outside investors taking stake.

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