Archive · 2 Sep 2026
Aviation Ministry Plans Automated Airport Building Clearance System
The government wants to make it easier to get permission to build near airports.
This permission is called a No Objection Certificate, or NOC.
Officials may tell builders the maximum building height at the beginning.
That would help people know the rules before designing a project.
The government is also considering fewer early site inspections and simpler paperwork.
In some places, local city authorities might issue the permissions.
The changes are meant to reduce delays and make the process more transparent.
Officials say aviation safety will still have to be protected.
Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu gave officials 15 days to develop changes to the airport-building NOC process.
The proposed system would provide permissible building heights upfront, especially in Delhi, Mumbai and Hyderabad.
Officials are considering fewer initial physical site inspections and streamlined document requirements for aeronautical studies.
The government is examining whether urban local bodies can issue NOCs where feasible instead of applicants approaching the Airports Authority of India directly.
The reforms aim to make approvals faster and more predictable while maintaining aviation safety requirements.
- Who
- The Ministry of Civil Aviation, Airports Authority of India officials and Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu.
- What
- The government is planning to simplify, automate and decentralise No Objection Certificate approvals for construction near airports.
- When
- The minister issued directions on Wednesday and set a 15-day deadline for officials to develop the changes.
- Where
- The process applies to areas around airports, including major metropolitan cities such as Delhi, Mumbai and Hyderabad.
- Why
- To make building approvals more transparent, predictable and time-bound, while supporting development without compromising aviation safety.
Faster, decentralised approvals
Continued aviation safeguards
How approvals should work
Faster, decentralised approvals
The ministry is considering automation, upfront height information and urban local body-level NOC issuance to reduce delays and manual intervention.
Continued aviation safeguards
The approval framework must continue assessing how proposed structures could affect aircraft operations and must retain aviation safety requirements.
Initial project checks
Faster, decentralised approvals
Reducing physical site verification at the initial stage and streamlining documents could make applications easier for individuals, housing societies, builders and industry.
Continued aviation safeguards
Aeronautical studies and other checks remain necessary before structures near airports are cleared.
- Deadline
- Officials were directed to take necessary action within 15 days.
- Approval type
- No Objection Certificates for building and infrastructure projects near airports.
- Proposed height information
- Applicants could receive permissible building heights at the initial stage.
- Current NOCAS coverage
- The No Objection Certificate Application System covers areas within 20 km for Visual Flight Rules operations and 56 km for Instrument Flight Rules operations.
- Possible decentralisation
- Urban local bodies could issue NOCs wherever feasible.
- Process changes under review
- Officials discussed reducing initial physical site verification and rationalising building-plan and document submissions.
- Safety requirement
- The reforms are intended to preserve aviation safety requirements.