Chennai Air Funnel Zones
AAI
Overview
Chennai airport height restriction zone rules bind every plot within 20 km of Chennai International Airport (IATA: MAA, ICAO: VOMM), located at Tirusulam and operated by AAI. The airport ARP elevation is 10.363 m AMSL, and the aerodrome elevation is 15.85 m AMSL, as recorded in AAI's published CCZM for Chennai (Drawing No. AAI/14-A/2015). All structures in this radius require an AAI height clearance NOC before construction begins.Why the Chennai Airport Funnel Zone Kills Building Plans That Looked Legal on Paper
Chennai is one of the metros explicitly named in the Ministry of Civil Aviation's national review as heavily impacted by height restrictions, and the reason is straightforward. AAI measures permitted height in AMSL, not from your ground floor. The Aerodrome Reference Point sits at just 10.363 m AMSL. Plots in Pallavaram, Chromepet, and Tirusulam have low ground elevations themselves, which shrinks the available Above Ground Level (AGL) headroom dramatically once AAI runs the AMSL arithmetic.
Overview
Runway Strip (No-build)
Distance Reference
0–500 m from runway edge
Max Permitted Height
No construction
Who Approves?
N/A
Inner Horizontal Surface
Distance Reference
Up to 4 km from ARP
Max Permitted Height
45 m AGL
Who Approves?
AAI NOC mandatory
Airport Funnel (Approach path)
Distance Reference
Along runway 07/25 and 12/30 approach
Max Permitted Height
2% of distance from runway edge
Who Approves?
AAI NOC mandatory
Conical Surface
Distance Reference
4–8 km approx.
Max Permitted Height
Increases 1 m per 20 m of distance
Who Approves?
AAI NOC mandatory
Outer Horizontal Surface
Distance Reference
Up to 15 km
Max Permitted Height
Up to 300 m AMSL
Who Approves?
AAI NOC mandatory
Peripheral Zone
Distance Reference
15–20 km
Max Permitted Height
No hard cap, monitored
Who Approves?
AAI NOC mandatory
Zone
Distance Reference
Max Permitted Height
Who Approves?
Runway Strip (No-build)
0–500 m from runway edge
No construction
N/A
Inner Horizontal Surface
Up to 4 km from ARP
45 m AGL
AAI NOC mandatory
Airport Funnel (Approach path)
Along runway 07/25 and 12/30 approach
2% of distance from runway edge
AAI NOC mandatory
Conical Surface
4–8 km approx.
Increases 1 m per 20 m of distance
AAI NOC mandatory
Outer Horizontal Surface
Up to 15 km
Up to 300 m AMSL
AAI NOC mandatory
Peripheral Zone
15–20 km
No hard cap, monitored
AAI NOC mandatory
Chennai airport has two runways: primary runway 07/25 and secondary runway 12/30. Both generate separate funnel zones pointing in different directions. A plot that sits safely outside one funnel can fall squarely inside the other. Always verify against both runway alignments through NOCAS before signing.
Pallavaram, Chromepet, Guindy and the Parandur Belt: Where Funnel Zone Risk Is Highest and Where It Is Shifting
Tirusulam / Meenambakkam
Approx. Distance from ARP
0–2 km
Primary Zone Risk
Inner horizontal surface, 45 m AGL ceiling
Key Demand Driver
Aviation employment, metro access
Pallavaram
Approx. Distance from ARP
3–5 km
Primary Zone Risk
Funnel zone (runway 07/25 approach path)
Key Demand Driver
Industrial corridor, metro connectivity
Chromepet
Approx. Distance from ARP
4–6 km
Primary Zone Risk
Funnel / inner horizontal surface overlap
Key Demand Driver
Suburban rail, affordability
Guindy
Approx. Distance from ARP
6–8 km
Primary Zone Risk
Conical surface
Key Demand Driver
Industrial estate, IT anchor
St. Thomas Mount
Approx. Distance from ARP
5–7 km
Primary Zone Risk
Conical / outer surface
Key Demand Driver
Suburban rail, heritage locality
Corridor / Locality
Approx. Distance from ARP
Primary Zone Risk
Key Demand Driver
Tirusulam / Meenambakkam
0–2 km
Inner horizontal surface, 45 m AGL ceiling
Aviation employment, metro access
Pallavaram
3–5 km
Funnel zone (runway 07/25 approach path)
Industrial corridor, metro connectivity
Chromepet
4–6 km
Funnel / inner horizontal surface overlap
Suburban rail, affordability
Guindy
6–8 km
Conical surface
Industrial estate, IT anchor
St. Thomas Mount
5–7 km
Conical / outer surface
Suburban rail, heritage locality
One corridor buyers consistently misread is Guindy. Because it has commercial and IT demand entirely separate from the airport narrative, brokers skip the height restriction conversation. A mid-rise office or apartment project here still requires a NOCAS NOC, and the Permissible Top Elevation for your specific grid, not the street address, is what determines what you can build.
One more factor specific to Chennai: the proposed Parandur Greenfield Airport, located around 70 km west in Kanchipuram district, has received in-principle approval and central government clearance. Land acquisition for its 5,746-acre site is advancing, with construction of Phase 1 targeted for early 2026. Plots in the Parandur, Ekanapuram, and Sriperumbudur belt will eventually face a second, independent set of AAI funnel zone restrictions once that airport is notified.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need an AAI NOC to build near Chennai airport?
Yes. Every structure within 20 km of Chennai International Airport's Aerodrome Reference Point requires an AAI height clearance NOC under GSR 751E before construction begins. There are no exemptions based on plot size or building type.
What is the maximum building height allowed within 3 km of Chennai airport?
Within the inner horizontal surface (up to 4 km from the ARP), the ceiling is 45 m AGL. Inside the airport funnel zone, the limit equals 2% of your plot's distance from the runway edge. Your AGL headroom depends on your AMSL site elevation.
Does Chennai airport have an official CCZM from AAI?
Yes. AAI has published a Colour Coded Zoning Map for Chennai (Drawing No. AAI/14-A, Version 1.0, 2015), available on the NOCAS portal. The Chennai airport ARP elevation is 10.363 m AMSL, and all PTE figures in the map are AMSL values.
How is permitted building height calculated for a Chennai plot near the airport?
AAI uses AMSL. Subtract your plot's ground elevation from the CCZM Permissible Top Elevation to get the AGL ceiling. Chennai's low-lying terrain means this calculation often produces a tighter AGL figure than buyers expect.
What happens if a building near Chennai airport violates the AAI height restriction?
Violation of GSR 751E can result in denial of Occupancy Certificate, AAI show-cause notices, and in serious cases, court-ordered demolition of non-compliant floors. The buyer inherits the legal liability after registry.
What is the airport funnel zone and why does it affect Pallavaram and Chromepet plots?
The funnel zone runs along both runway approach and departure paths. Pallavaram and Chromepet sit directly along the runway 07/25 approach corridor, so their funnel zone ceiling is strictly distance-dependent: 2% of distance from the runway edge, calculated in metres AGL.
Will the Parandur greenfield airport create new height restriction zones near Kanchipuram?
Yes. Once notified as an operational civil aerodrome, Parandur airport will trigger a fresh 20 km NOC radius under GSR 751E. Plots in Parandur, Ekanapuram, and Sriperumbudur will fall within its OLS surfaces. Check zone status before buying in that belt.
How do I apply for the AAI height clearance NOC for a Chennai plot?
Apply through NOCAS at nocas2.aai.aero. Submit your plot's WGS84 coordinates and surveyed site elevation in AMSL. AAI's Chennai NOC office processes applications; the NOC is valid for eight years once issued.
Disclaimer
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Data Source & Verification
Source
Official Airports Authority of India (AAI) / Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) documents
Official Website
aai.aero
Coordinate Reference System
EPSG:4326 (WGS 84)
Geometry Type
Polygon / MultiPolygon
Data Format
Raster Tiles (from GeoTIFF)
Last Verified
2026
Status
Active