Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu on Wednesday, 2 September directed senior officials to automate, simplify, and decentralise the no objection certificate (NOC) issuance process in the civil aviation sector, setting a firm implementation deadline of 15 days. The directive, issued during a high-level review meeting at the Ministry of Civil Aviation in New Delhi, is aimed at reducing manual intervention and making clearances more transparent and time-bound.

Key Directives from the Minister

Naidu instructed officers from the Ministry of Civil Aviation and the Airports Authority of India (AAI) to examine and finalise the modalities for simplifying, automating, and decentralising the NOC process. The reforms are intended to benefit a broad range of stakeholders — including members of the general public, residential societies, builders, and industry players — while ensuring that aviation safety regulations remain fully intact.

The minister also directed that all relevant data and permissible height information be made transparently available in the public domain, including through official websites, so that applicants can make informed decisions without needing to approach the AAI directly at every stage.

Building Height Transparency in Metro Cities

According to an official statement, Naidu discussed the feasibility of providing permissible building height information to applicants at the initial stage of their application — particularly in major metropolitan cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, and Hyderabad. This approach, if implemented, would allow builders and developers to plan construction projects in accordance with applicable height restrictions from the outset, reducing delays and back-and-forth with regulatory bodies.

NOCAS Coverage and ULB-Level Clearances

The meeting also reviewed the existing geographical coverage of the No Objection Certificate Application System (NOCAS), which currently covers areas within 20 kilometres for Visual Flight Rules (VFR) operations and 56 kilometres for Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) operations. Officials considered the feasibility of enabling NOC issuance at the Urban Local Body (ULB) level wherever practicable, which could significantly reduce the burden on individuals and industries who currently have to approach the AAI directly.

Ease of Doing Business Push

The review meeting was convened specifically to assess measures for promoting Ease of Doing Business in the civil aviation sector, with a particular focus on streamlining the NOC process. This initiative aligns with the broader Centre-level push to reduce regulatory friction across infrastructure-linked sectors. Notably, the civil aviation ministry has been among the more active ministries in pursuing process digitisation in recent months.

The overall objective, as articulated by the minister, is to ensure expeditious and time-bound clearance of proposals without compromising aviation safety standards — a balance that regulators have historically found difficult to strike in high-density urban airspace.