Chennai: Tamil Nadu may not need another international airport immediately as its existing airports are operating below their available capacity, according to a study released by the Uvakai Research Foundation on August 27.

The report comes days after Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay announced that the proposed Parandur airport project would be dropped, following prolonged protests by local residents.

Existing airports are still underused

Tamil Nadu currently has six airports, including four that handle both international and domestic flights. Together, they have an annual passenger-handling capacity of 51.1 million.

However, the airports handled around 29.4 million passengers in 2024-25, meaning only about 58% of the available capacity was utilised, according to the study.

Chennai airport alone has a stated capacity of 35 million passengers annually but handled around 22.4 million passengers during the year, leaving significant capacity unused.

Cargo capacity also remains available

The study found a similar gap in air cargo. Chennai’s airports have a stated capacity of around 11.02 lakh metric tonnes but handled approximately 3.79 lakh metric tonnes in 2024-25.

The foundation estimates that the existing cargo capacity could be sufficient until around 2046-47 under the current growth scenario.

It also highlighted Chennai’s access to major ports, including Kamarajar and Kattupalli, which together can handle around 117-120 million tonnes of cargo.

High-speed rail could change demand

The report also examined the potential impact of high-speed rail on aviation demand. It noted that the Chennai-Bengaluru and Chennai-Hyderabad corridors account for around 3.04 million air passengers annually.

A portion of these passengers could potentially shift to high-speed rail if such services become available, the study said.

Focus on using existing infrastructure

The foundation noted that Tamil Nadu’s GSDP increased by around 137% between 2016-17 and 2024-25, while air passenger traffic grew by only 27%.

It also pointed to possible expansion at Chennai airport, including additional terminals, and called for a detailed assessment of future aviation demand.

The study recommends that the government first ensure existing airport infrastructure is fully utilised before considering the need for another international airport.