Why is Parandur airport disaster in waiting? Interview with aviation expert Captain Mohan Ranganathan

The Union Civil Aviation Ministry is set to grant in-principle approval for Chennai’s second airport at Parandur. While the government pushes ahead with the project, protests have been ongoing for nearly 1,000 days. Aviation expert and safety consultant Captain Mohan Ranganathan has raised serious concerns about the project's feasibility, environmental risks, and lack of proper planning.

In an exclusive interview, Ranganathan strongly criticized the project, calling it a “recipe for disaster.” He highlighted critical safety flaws and pointed out how past mistakes at Chennai Airport are being repeated with Parandur.

Runways on clay soil: A costly mistake

One of the biggest concerns raised by Ranganathan is the fact that 60% of the proposed airport land consists of water bodies and clayey soil. This, he warns, will result in massive cost escalations and structural instability.

"No matter what cost they estimate, it will multiply a hundredfold," he said, questioning the committee led by retired IAS officer Machendranathan, which has been tasked with finding alternatives for the water bodies.

Also Read: Parandur airport: Activist cites environmental concerns, suggests other options

Aviation safety risks ignored

Ranganathan criticized the government for neglecting aviation safety and not consulting experts. He recalled his tenure in the Civil Aviation Safety Advisory Council, where he and his team pointed out critical flaws in airport planning. However, their warnings were ignored, and they were eventually removed from the committee.

"The ministry does not like anyone pointing fingers. When we highlighted safety concerns, we were dismissed," he said.

Lessons from Chennai’s second runway failure

Drawing parallels with past failures, Ranganathan cited the Chennai Airport secondary runway project, which faced similar issues. He pointed out how authorities ignored expert warnings, leading to unsafe infrastructure.

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"In 2005, after heavy floods, the idea of a secondary runway was proposed. But the soil was unsuitable, and the project was abandoned," he explained. Instead, a bridge was built for the secondary runway, which he personally inspected.

"I found severe corrosion, cracks, and substandard materials. I even warned that an Airbus A330 landing with a 2G force could bring the bridge down," he stated.

He further revealed that the Environmental Clearance (EC) required the structure to be 1.5 meters above flood level, but the actual construction failed to meet this standard.

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Parandur could worsen Chennai’s flood crisis

Another alarming issue is the environmental impact. Ranganathan warned that dumping 4,000 acres of concrete on water bodies would have devastating consequences for Chennai’s drainage system.

"If Chennai saw destruction in 2015 due to floods, Parandur will make it worse. The floodwaters will have nowhere to go," he cautioned.

He also debunked the claim that Parandur will be easily accessible, pointing out that even reaching Meenambakkam Airport takes over an hour for many commuters.

Also Read: Tamil Nadu | Vijay opposes Chennai's Parandur airport plan, NEET exam

A better alternative: Expand Chennai Airport

According to Ranganathan, Chennai Airport can be developed like Gatwick Airport instead of investing billions in a new airport at Parandur. He suggested reclaiming nearby defence lands and restructuring the airport to accommodate growing air traffic.

"Chennai is one of the few cities with an airport within city limits. Instead of building Parandur, we should expand the existing airport," he argued.

He pointed out that Sri Perumbudur was previously rejected as a second airport site due to conflicts with defence airspace, and similar problems exist with Parandur.

Also Read: TN: Central committee grants site clearance for Parandur airport

"Parandur is close to Arakkonam and Tambaram Air Force bases. It will take years to get clearance from the Defence Ministry," he said, adding that Parandur Airport may never materialize in our lifetime.

Conclusion

Mohan Ranganathan’s analysis raises serious doubts about the viability of the Parandur Airport project. From aviation safety risks and environmental destruction to massive cost overruns, the expert has made it clear that Parandur is not a well-planned solution.

Instead, he urges the government to focus on upgrading Chennai Airport, which would be a faster, cheaper, and safer alternative.

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