Airport height NOC (AAI NOCAS) before buying a flat near RGIA Shamshabad, Hyderabad
Short answer: if a building is within 20 km of an airport's reference point, the 2015 height rules (GSR 751(E)) say it needs an AAI No Objection Certificate for height clearance before construction. For a flat in Shamshabad, Tukkuguda, Adibatla, Kothur or other areas around Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA), ask the builder for the AAI NOC letter, check the permitted height against the building, and check its date. Whether a specific locality falls within 20 km of RGIA, or of another aerodrome in or near Hyderabad, is to verify on the NOCAS map or with the builder's architect.
What the rules say
- The 20 km rule. GSR 751(E), the Ministry of Civil Aviation (Height Restrictions for Safeguarding of Aircraft Operations) Rules, 2015, notified on 30 September 2015, rule 4(1): no structure shall be built "within a radius not exceeding twenty kilometers from the Aerodrome Reference Point" of the listed civil and defence aerodromes "without obtaining a No Objection Certificate for the height clearance", except cases under rule 7(2). Rule 3(ix) defines "structure" to include buildings, masts, towers, chimneys and other man-made structures.
- Who issues it. For civil airports, a designated officer of the Airports Authority of India (AAI). Applications go online through AAI's NOCAS (No Objection Certificate Application System), linked from the AAI website.
- What AAI can decide (AAI NOCAS guidelines, para 4): no objection for the requested height, no objection only up to a restricted lower height, or an objection.
- Every rooftop item counts. The height applied for must include "radio/television aerial/mast, lightning arrester, vent pipes, overhead water tanks" and other attachments (para 2.2 and 6.7).
- Validity. A building NOC is valid for 5 years from issue (para 9.1). It can be revalidated if construction is completed or in progress, up to 8 years in total from first issue (para 9.2.1). If construction did not start within the validity period, a fresh NOC is needed and the height is re-assessed (para 9.2.2).
- Wrong data voids it. NOC calculations rest on the surveyed WGS-84 coordinates the applicant gives; if the actual data is found to be different, "the NOC, so issued, will be invalid" (para 6.10).
Six checks for a buyer
- Ask the builder if an AAI height NOC was needed and obtained, and ask for a copy of the NOC letter with its NOC ID.
- Compare the permitted top elevation with the building. The NOC gives a top elevation above mean sea level (AMSL). Ask the architect to confirm the sanctioned plan's total height, including the water tank, lift room and any mast, stays within it.
- Check the date. Building NOCs are valid 5 years from issue (revalidation up to 8 years if work started). For a project that has been slow, ask whether it was revalidated.
- Check the NOC matches this plot. The NOC is tied to the surveyed coordinates of the site. The survey numbers and plot on the NOC should match the sale documents and the RERA registration.
- Check the floors sold match the floors approved. If AAI allowed only a restricted height, the extra floors in a brochure may not be approvable. Compare the floor count in the building permission and the RERA registration with what you are offered.
- Keep it with your approval file, next to the building permission, the occupancy certificate and the fire NOC.
Why it matters: a building that goes above its permitted height can face orders to stop work or bring the height down, and flats on extra floors may never get an occupancy certificate. We have not seen a figure for how often this happens in Telangana or Andhra Pradesh, so we don't quote one.
Hyderabad: where the builder's approval file should show it
Building permission in Hyderabad goes through the state and municipal systems (see our building permission guide below). Whether the online building-permission system asks for the AAI NOC as an upload, and at what height, is to verify on the official TG building-permission portal: we could not read that rule live today, so we don't state it. The rules above apply whatever the local process is.
Related guides
- Building permission and occupancy certificate check
- Fire NOC check for high-rise flats
- Verify the RERA project registration
- Layout approval and LRS check for plots
Buying in Andhra Pradesh? See the Andhra Pradesh guide.
Not legal advice. This page summarises AAI's NOCAS guidelines (modified 2015) and GSR 751(E), read on 23 Oct 2026. The NOCAS portal did not load for us today, so check the current process there, and have a lawyer and the project architect review the approvals before you pay.
A free sample from our Hyderabad property do-it-yourself pack: which approvals to ask the builder for, which official portals to check, and in what order.
Get it free (instant download)FAQ
Do flats near Shamshabad airport need an AAI NOC?
Under GSR 751(E) rule 4(1), structures within a radius of up to 20 km of the aerodrome reference point of a listed airport need a No Objection Certificate for height clearance before construction. Check whether your project is inside that radius on NOCAS or with the architect.
How do I check a builder's AAI height NOC?
Ask for the NOC letter and its NOC ID, then compare the permitted top elevation (above mean sea level) with the building's total height in the sanctioned plan, including tanks and masts, and check the issue date.
How long is an AAI NOC valid for a building?
Five years from the date of issue under AAI's NOCAS guidelines, extendable by revalidation up to eight years in total if construction is completed or in progress.
What if AAI allows less height than the builder planned?
AAI can give no objection only up to a restricted height. Then the floors above that height cannot be approved on that NOC, so match the approved floor count with what you are buying.
Official sources
- AAI: Guidelines for filing NOC (height clearance) through NOCAS, modified 10/07/2015 (copy hosted by CREDAI)
- GSR 751(E), 30 Sep 2015: MoCA Height Restrictions Rules, 2015 (India Code)
- AAI NOCAS portal (apply, track, zoning map)
Not legal advice. We don't check properties or certify ads. A lawyer must confirm title, and the Authority's own notices override anything on this page.