Why plan to build new airport has to take off at the earliest

CHENNAI: Chennai needs a second airport as the facility at Meenambakkam is near saturation point and is unable to handle the passenger traffic rate growing at 10% every year. The airport is fraught with limitations and aviation experts said the city should have a second airport by 2024, when Chennai airport is supposed to reach its maximum limit at handling passengers.

Airports Authority of India (AAI) had been putting pressure on the state government to finalize a land for the second airport because it is estimated that it will another five years to plan an airport. Execution will take more time. The hunt for a new location came as the state government expressed its inability to acquire land at Sriperumbudur which was ready for construction after all clearances were given.

"The second airport can be developed either under public sector or under public private partnership. This has to be decided at the ministry level. However, if the state government delays any further, the Union ministry may have to look at private players to execute the project," said sources.

The state government has considered Cheyyur and Uttiramerur in the south and Gumidipoondi in the north, while a private developer who has a land bank mooted a new airport at Mamandur. AAI did preliminary checks at these spots.

The location at Mamandur or Cheyyur is considered too close to Vedanthangal bird sanctuary which is less than 50km from the location being promoted by the private developer.

The procedure to set up a new airport includes detailed study of the location and clearance from Directorate General of Civil Aviation, AAI which is in charge of air traffic control services and an international agency like International Civil Aviation Organisation or International Air Transports Association. The ministry of civil aviation wants to develop the second airport as an aero city with all facilities needed for an airport and aviation sector – aircraft maintenance, aviation businesses and others.

However, air traffic control experts say building a new airport will be difficult because of the restrictions in Chennai’s airspace because of defence installations at Tambaram, Arakkonam, and HAL in Bengaluru.

Former pilot and air safety expert captain Mohan Ranganathan said, "The bird sanctuary can be a risk for the planes if an airport is set up in the southern side of Chennai. Birds keep coming because it is a natural sanctuary. AAI or the ministry of civil aviation may have to get a clearance from the environment ministry. A location on the northern side of the city is not advisable because it is too close to the airspace of Arakkonam naval base and Sriharikota."

Ranganathan said the ideal location could be closer to the coast as most of the approach and climb of the flight would be over the sea without obstacles.