Chennai Airport Plans Terminal 5 Between Runways to Boost Capacity

Plans for a proposed Terminal 5 (T5) at Chennai airport have gained urgency following the official dropping of plans for an airport at Parandur. Top airport officials report that the new terminal could be positioned on an under-utilised triangular parcel situated between the airport's two runways. This layout is designed to achieve minimal land acquisition and require little to no relocation of people.

While the concept for T5 has been under discussion for some time, immediate focus remains on the ongoing expansion of Terminal 3 (T3), meaning the T5 project will likely take considerable time to materialize. At present, no project cost has been finalized, and officials note that an accurate estimate can only be formulated after completing technical studies, detailed designs, and securing necessary statutory approvals.

A critical component tied to the T5 proposal is a planned 5.32-kilometer elevated corridor. This corridor is designed to connect the Inner Ring Road at Tambaram with Maduravoyal along the Adyar River, providing direct access to the terminal while minimizing disruption in densely populated western areas. Although the project originally required significant land acquisition, the State government subsequently proposed aligning the corridor along the periphery of the Adyar River to reduce costs.

This river-edge alignment was referred to the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) for a technical assessment. The resulting study indicated that the project can proceed without impairing flood-water management, provided that river banks are strengthened and adequate measures are maintained for water flow. The proposal still requires in-principle approval from the Tamil Nadu Water Resources Department, environmental clearances, and the potential removal of encroachments along the river banks.

In addition to improving terminal access, the corridor would connect with NH 32, which officials expect will divert a portion of passenger and cargo traffic currently relying on the heavily congested GST Road. Concurrently, authorities are working to increase runway capacity from the current 35 aircraft movements per hour to approximately 45-46 movements through the introduction of planned rapid-exit taxiways.

The proposed T5 on the western side of the airport is projected to add roughly 20 million passengers to the existing capacity. Combined with ongoing expansions that will bring the base capacity to 35 million, the addition of T5 would push total capacity to around 55 million passengers annually. Consultants and planning departments have examined the proposal as an efficient way to utilize the existing 1,300-acre airport estate without altering the two runways.

However, the project faces technical scrutiny regarding water management. Aviation expert Mohan Ranganathan has noted that the area between the two runways is low-lying and prone to flooding during heavy rains, serving as a natural drainage path for the main tarmac and runways. He cautioned that blocking or developing this area could lead to prolonged water accumulation across the airport during monsoons.

"Optimizing existing land assets is a prudent strategy for managing capacity constraints in urban infrastructure projects. However, as experts have pointed out, geographic and hydrological challenges must be carefully addressed through rigorous technical studies before capital is deployed. Sustainable infrastructure development requires balancing capacity expansion with long-term environmental and operational risk management, particularly in flood-prone regions." — Dr. Shishir Gupta, Founder & CEO, StartupLanes