The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) on September 02, 2026, reviewed measures to improve Ease of Doing Business in the civil aviation sector, with a focus on simplifying and streamlining the No Objection Certificate (NOC) process. The proposed reforms seek to make NOC issuance transparent, automated, hassle-free and time-bound, with minimal manual intervention, while maintaining aviation safety requirements.
Key measures discussed include providing permissible building-height information at the initial application stage, simplifying and expediting Aeronautical Studies, reducing initial physical site verification and documentation requirements, and rationalizing the submission of Building Development Plans. The existing NOCAS coverage of 20 km for VFR operations and 56 km for IFR operations was also reviewed, along with the feasibility of issuing NOCs at the Urban Local Body (ULB) level to decentralize the process.
The concerned authorities have been directed to examine and implement modalities for simplification, automation and decentralization of the NOC process within 15 days. Relevant height restrictions and other data are also proposed to be made publicly available to enable predictable and timely planning, without compromising aviation safety.
[Release ID: 2305960]
