On August 23, 2024, 470 acres of private and poramboke land were handed over to AAI for Coimbatore Airport expansion. AAI is currently conducting technical assessments of the given land and adjoining areas.
Coimbatore: The Coimbatore District Collector granted ‘enter upon’ permission to the Airport Authority of India (AAI) on August 23, 2024, facilitating the handover of 472.3 acres of private and poramboke land for the much-anticipated Coimbatore Airport expansion project. This step marked a significant milestone in the city’s infrastructure development.
Out of the total 627.89 acres required for the project, 472.3 acres have been handed over to AAI. The remaining land includes approximately 134.75 acres under the defense sector, which will be transferred after a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) is signed between the Tamil Nadu government and Defense Authorities in the coming weeks. Also, ‘working permission’ for the defense lands has already been issued along side the ‘enter upon’ order. Some small private lands are still awaiting acquisition through court attachments. This is also expected to close soon, according to Coimbatore District Collector Kranthi Kumar Pati.
In response to recent claims on social media suggesting that the land had not been transferred, government sources clarified that on August 23, 2024, Special Tahsildars were authorized to hand over the lands through an ‘enter upon’ order. AAI is now assessing the lands and has raised queries regarding layout management and peripheral roads during last week’s secretary level meeting, a standard process before initiating expansion work.
Airport sources echoed the same, confirming that AAI’s assessment is ongoing, and all queries will be resolved in due course. They also pointed out that the Airport Authority is currently under interim leadership, with major decisions likely after a full-time chairman assumes office.
Officials further requested that social media users avoid sensationalizing the land transfer process without fully understanding the legal and procedural aspects involved.