Building Near Noida International Airport: The AAI Height NOC, the Colour-Coded Zoning Map and YEIDA’s Airport-Zone Rules

Height limits around airports exist so that buildings, towers and trees do not intrude into the airspace aircraft use to approach and depart. With Noida International Airport now operating, those limits apply across a wide area around Jewar, and the airport operator, the district administration and YEIDA have all issued directions about construction near it. This guide explains how the rules work and what a plot owner needs to do.

The legal basis

• The 2015 Rules. Under the Ministry of Civil Aviation (Height Restrictions for Safeguarding of Aircraft Operations) Rules, 2015, no structure may be built and no tree planted within 20 km of an aerodrome reference point without a height NOC. “Structure” is defined broadly: buildings, masts, towers, chimneys, transmission lines, elevated roads, bridges and wind farms.
• The zoning-map exemption. Where AAI has issued a colour-coded zoning map, the local authority can approve buildings up to the permissible height shown on it without referring them to AAI: except in the approach, take-off and transitional areas, or where the map says an NOC is required.
• Validity. A 2020 amendment made an NOC valid for eight years, extendable to a maximum of twelve.
• Enforcement. Violations fall under the rules on demolition of obstructions near aerodromes. New demolition rules under the Bharatiya Vayuyan Adhiniyam, 2024 were reported in 2025, with a 60-day period to comply with a demolition or height-reduction order.

20 km or more? The 2015 Rules refer to a 20 km radius. AAI’s NOCAS FAQ states that an NOC is needed up to 20 km for visual-flight airports and up to 56 km for instrument-flight airports. Check the position for your site on NOCAS rather than assuming you are outside the zone.

The Jewar colour-coded zoning map

NOCAS lists a colour-coded zoning map for Jewar among its 110 airports. The published map (version 1.0, applicable from June 2019) divides the area into bands, from zones where an NOC must be obtained to zones with permissible top elevations ranging from 214 m to 339 m above mean sea level.

The map gives a top elevation above sea level, not a building height. To work out how tall you can build, subtract your site’s ground elevation from the permissible elevation shown for your location. If your building stays within that figure, the map’s notes say no AAI NOC is needed. The map is an engineering document: have your architect read it for your exact coordinates.

Applying on NOCAS

1. Check first. On nocas2.aai.aero, use “Check Approximate Permissible Top Elevation” and the “Colour Coded Zoning Map (CCZM)” to see where your site falls.
2. Register under “NOC Applicant Registration” with an identity document; your email address becomes your user ID.
3. Apply from the dashboard (“Apply NOC”): enter WGS-84 coordinates, the site’s ground elevation and the proposed top elevation, including water tanks, masts and lightning arresters.
4. Upload documents as PDFs: a site elevation and coordinates certificate in AAI’s format, an undertaking on stamp paper, and an authorisation letter if you are not the owner. Plots over 300 sq m need the coordinates of every corner.
5. Track the application under “Track Application Status” using the NOC ID. If the requested height is within the zoning-map limit, the system can issue a letter stating that an NOC is not required.

AAI’s FAQ states there is no fee for applying for or obtaining a height NOC. Data cannot be changed after submission, so check the surveyor’s coordinates carefully, AAI’s own guidelines on which surveyors’ certificates are accepted should be read before you commission one.

What YEIDA and the district have decided

Reports of the YEIDA decision gave different height thresholds above which AAI approval is needed (15 m in one report, 24 m in others) and no finalised airport-zone bylaw had been published at the time of writing. A September 2026 YEIDA hotel-plot scheme indicated an effective height of around 29 m in Sectors 28 and 29 because of the airport. Confirm the limit for your plot with YEIDA and on NOCAS before finalising drawings. See after a YEIDA allotment for the building-plan process.

Other restrictions near the airport

• Bird hazards. Under Rule 91 of the Aircraft Rules, 1937, slaughtering or flaying animals and dumping garbage that attracts birds are not permitted within 10 km of the aerodrome reference point without DGCA’s written permission.
• Lights, lasers and drones. Obstructions should be marked or lit under the 2015 Rules; the district magistrate has issued restrictions on lasers and drones near the airport.
• Power lines and wind turbines are also covered by the height rules and the zoning map’s notes.

Common questions

Please verify before you build. Height limits are technical and site-specific, and the rules near the airport were still being finalised at the time of writing. Rely on NOCAS, YEIDA and your architect for your exact site.

Buying a plot near the airport? Talk to our team.