Union Minister for Civil Aviation Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu said the central government is advancing two new small airports in Tamil Nadu at Neyveli and Vellore. He said most work at Neyveli is complete and the project has been submitted for licensing to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), while Vellore's boundary wall is expected to be finished by the end of February 2026, enabling preparations for operations. He said the Parandur airport project near Chennai has in-principle approval from the union government but that land acquisition and developer selection remain the state's responsibility. He said the Prime Minister has a special focus on Coimbatore as one of India’s fastest growing urban centres and that land allocation delays have been resolved. The terminal will expand from the current 18,000 sq metres to 75,000 sq metres and is expected to handle a projected annual passenger footfall of up to 15 million (mn) over the next 20 years. The project carries a budget of Rs 21 billion (bn) and is targeted for completion by the end of 2028. He emphasised the need to strengthen international connections, noting links to Dubai, Singapore, Southeast Asia and Western countries depend on bilateral air service agreements and the development of hubs. To increase competition the government has approved three new private airlines and is exploring aircraft leasing to bring more planes into the Indian aviation ecosystem, with India operating around 840 planes and orders pending for 1,700 more. He said acquiring additional wide body aircraft will be important for international routes and for attracting carriers to cities such as Coimbatore. He reported that the Ministry of Defence has withheld approval for a proposed airport at Hosur because of proximity to the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited facility in Bengaluru and the need to reserve airspace for testing and defence activities. He also inaugurated initiatives at Coimbatore International Airport, including the UDAAN Yatri café and Digi Yatra gates, alongside Union Ministers L Murugan and Muralidhar Mohol. He said these measures form part of efforts to enhance connectivity.