Airport zone and NOC height at your plot
Near an airport, the height you can build without an Airports Authority of India NOC is the permissible top elevation on its colour coded zoning map less the ground level at the plot, and around Chennai that ranges from about 9 m to 140 m. Drop a pin and the check names the airport zone the plot sits in and the height that leaves you.
Sign in with your phone to run it. You see the price and approve it before anything runs.
- The airport zone at the pin and the height that can be built under it
- Informational, not a warning, when that height is over 30.5 m
- The severe layers (monument buffers, reserve forest, Ramsar wetland, swamp, flood, water bodies, the Redhills catchment) swept at the same pin, shown only if they hit
1 creditper run, charged when the register answers
What we need
One thing at a time. Fill it in and press Run.
The answer
From the register, with its date and source.
Nothing run yet. The answer appears here with everything this mini adds:
- The airport zone at the pin and the height that can be built under it
- Informational, not a warning, when that height is over 30.5 m
- The severe layers (monument buffers, reserve forest, Ramsar wetland, swamp, flood, water bodies, the Redhills catchment) swept at the same pin, shown only if they hit
Airport zones, briefly
The highest point, in metres above mean sea level, that a structure may reach at a location under the Airports Authority of India colour coded zoning map. The height above your ground is that figure less the ground level of the plot.
- Zones mapped
- 5 kinds
The trough along the runway, the funnels on approach and departure, the extended flight path, and the inner and outer Air Force station boundaries.
- Height range
- 9 m to 140 m
The height that can be built without a NOC varies point by point, from about 9 m to about 140 m, depending on the zone and the ground level.
- CMDA practice
- 30.5 m
CMDA asks for an AAI NOC for buildings of 30.5 m or more, or above 10 floors. Where the airport ceiling is at or above that, the zone reads as information, not a flag.
How to check the airport height limit for a plot
- 1
Place the pin on the plot
Tap the plot on the map, paste a Google Maps link to it, or use your location while you stand on it.
- 2
Press Run
The pin is tested against the airport zone boundaries and the Airports Authority of India colour coded zoning, and the ground level at the plot is read.
- 3
Read the zone and the height
A low ceiling reads Flagged with the zone and the height left above ground. A ceiling of 30.5 m or more reads as information. Outside every mapped zone reads Clear.
When it helps with land
Planning floors
Near Meenambakkam, Pallavaram, Tambaram or the flight path, the ceiling decides how many floors the plot can carry, and so what it is worth.
Before applying for a NOC
Know the zone and the likely ceiling before the architect fixes the height, and before you apply to the Airports Authority.
Towers, tanks and antennas
The height counts to the highest point, including the water tank, the lift room and any antenna, so a building just under the line can cross it on the roof.
This is a reading of the zoning map, not a NOC. The Airports Authority of India decides on an application with the surveyed ground level, and the planning authority will ask for its certificate. When the ground level cannot be read, the ceiling is not given as a height.
Questions people ask
When is an airport NOC needed?
When the proposed height exceeds what the Airports Authority of India zoning allows at that point, its no objection certificate is needed before the building plan is approved. In the Chennai metropolitan area CMDA also asks for one for buildings of 30.5 m or more, or above 10 floors.
How high can I build near Chennai airport?
It depends on the exact point: the permissible top elevation on the zoning map less your ground level. Around Chennai it ranges from about 9 m to about 140 m. Drop a pin to get the figure for your plot.
What are the airport height restriction zones?
The trough along the runway, the funnel zones on the approach and departure paths, the extended flight path, and the inner and outer zones of the Air Force stations, where defence restrictions also apply.
Does the height limit include the water tank and lift room?
Yes. Height is measured from ground level to the highest point of the structure, including water tanks, lift rooms, antennas and every projection. Construction cranes need clearance too.
What if the plot falls in more than one zone?
The most restrictive one governs, and that is the zone and height the check reports.
Can I see what height neighbours were actually granted?
Yes. The Airports Authority publishes the height clearances it has issued since 2016, each with the permissible top elevation and the certificate. Searching those near your plot is often the quickest proof of what is allowed.
What does it cost?
1 credit per pin, charged only when the layer gives a real answer. The free airport zone check page stays available; this check adds the survey parcel under the pin, a sweep of the severe layers and a saved answer.