NEW DELHI — In a major initiative to enhance Ease of Doing Business and accelerate urban infrastructure development, Union Minister of Civil Aviation Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu has ordered a comprehensive simplification and automation of the No Objection Certificate (NOC) issuance process for building heights near airports.
Chairing a high-level review meeting with senior officials from the Ministry of Civil Aviation and the Airports Authority of India (AAI), the Minister issued a strict 15-day deadline to finalize the modalities for an automated, transparent, and decentralized clearance framework.
Core Operational and Regulatory Reforms
The proposed measures aim to eliminate procedural bottlenecks for builders, housing societies, and industrial developers without compromising aviation safety standards.
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Upfront Height Transparency: Feasibility assessment to publish pre-approved, permissible building height limits at the initial application stage for major metropolitan hubs, including Delhi, Mumbai, and Hyderabad, enabling developers to align plans from the outset.
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Streamlined Aeronautical Studies: Rationalization of documentation requirements, reducing the need for mandatory physical site verifications at the initial assessment phase and expediting complex approval cycles.
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Decentralization to Urban Local Bodies (ULBs): Evaluation of mechanisms to delegate routine NOC approvals to municipal and ULB levels, reducing the need for applicants to directly approach the AAI for standard clearances.
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Automation via NOCAS: Upgrading the No Objection Certificate Application System (NOCAS)—which currently governs radiuses of 20 km for Visual Flight Rules (VFR) and 56 km for Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) operations—to minimize manual intervention.
Strategic Significance
The directive reflects the government’s push to align aviation safety protocols with rapid urban expansion. By replacing manual workflows with predictable, public-domain data, the Ministry expects to significantly shorten project lead times, boost real estate investment, and drive broader economic growth across key metropolitan corridors.
