Reports have emerged that Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asking him to remove the 'Airports Authority of India' (AAI) from the responsibility of managing Chennai Airport and hand over that responsibility to another organization.
In this regard, in a letter written by Chief Minister Joseph Vijay to Prime Minister Narendra Modi last August,
Tamil Nadu is a state conducive to industry and is making continuous efforts necessary to attract business and investment.
Chennai International Airport, which serves as a major gateway to South India, is an important hub that handles a large volume of domestic and international air traffic. It plays a key role in regional trade, tourism, and passenger transportation.
In Tamil Nadu, a state well suited for industrial investment, international airport infrastructure and management are crucial for industrial and investment growth. Whether it is the number of passengers, aircraft movements, or cargo-handling capacity, Chennai Airport needs significant improvement. However, shortcomings in the administration that manages the airport could affect the state’s economic momentum.
Since a good airport and efficient administration are essential to attract large-scale industrial investments to the state, the Airports Authority of India, which is currently managing Chennai Airport, should be replaced and the administration handed over to another organization.
Accordingly, reports say that a request has been made to transfer the management of Chennai Airport, which is currently run by the Airports Authority of India, to a private entity or another company.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation and other relevant central government bodies are expected to consider the Tamil Nadu government's request for better management, citing the airport's passenger traffic, aircraft operations, and cargo handling functions at Chennai airport.
The purpose of this request for a change in management may be to align the airport's operations with the country's infrastructure development goals and Tamil Nadu's specific economic strategies, it is said.
Moreover, with the plan to establish an airport in Parandur having been abandoned, and following the Tamil Nadu government's decision to expand the existing airport itself, this move is being seen as an important step toward privatizing Chennai airport.
