Airport height NOC before buying a flat near Vizag, Vijayawada or Tirupati airport (Andhra Pradesh)
Short answer: under the 2015 height rules (GSR 751(E)), a building within 20 km of an airport's reference point needs a No Objection Certificate for height clearance before construction. For flats and towers near Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada (Gannavaram), Tirupati, Rajahmundry or other airports in Andhra Pradesh, ask the builder for the height NOC letter, check the permitted height and its date. The rules cover both civil and defence aerodromes; which authority handles a particular site is shown when the application is made, and is to verify for your project.
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.
Andhra Pradesh: where the builder's approval file should show it
Building permission in AP is processed through the state's online building-permission system (see our building permission guide below). Whether that system asks for the height NOC as an upload, and at what height, is to verify on the official AP portal: we could not read that rule live today. The central rules above apply regardless.
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 Telangana? See the Telangana 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 Andhra Pradesh property do-it-yourself pack: which approvals to ask for, which portal to open, in what order, and what to keep on file.
Get it free (instant download)FAQ
Do buildings near Vizag or Vijayawada airport need a height NOC?
The 2015 rules require a No Objection Certificate for height clearance for structures within a radius of up to 20 km of a listed civil or defence aerodrome's reference point. Confirm the radius and the issuing authority for your site.
Where is the airport height NOC applied for?
For civil airports, online through AAI's NOCAS system, which generates a unique NOC ID; documents then go to AAI's designated officer at the nearest airport.
Is the water tank counted in the AAI height?
Yes. AAI's guidelines say the height must include overhead water tanks, aerials, masts, lightning arresters, vent pipes and other rooftop attachments.
Can a height NOC become invalid?
Yes. AAI's guidelines say the NOC will be invalid if the actual site data is found to differ from the surveyed coordinates given in the application.
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.