DK Shivakumar Raises Bengaluru Airport Height Curbs with Rajnath Singh; Karnataka Flags HAL Restrictions as Growth Roadblock

Documents accessed by thebengalurulive.com reveal that the Karnataka government has formally escalated the issue through multiple communications with the Centre, pointing out that the existing regulatory framework under the Ministry of Civil Aviation’s GSR 751(E) notification is being interpreted in an excessively restrictive manner.

As per the official correspondence, authorities in Bengaluru are enforcing height restrictions not only within the prescribed 15 km radius of airports but extending them up to 20 km, effectively capping building heights at 150 metres across a much larger area. This, the state argues, amounts to a “virtual substitution” of central rules and brings nearly 78% additional urban land under restriction.

The government has emphasised that Bengaluru, being one of the fastest-growing global cities, requires vertical expansion to sustain its development trajectory. However, the current restrictions are severely hampering growth in core city areas and undermining major initiatives such as transit-oriented development and comprehensive mobility planning.

Further, the documents note that while global cities like Singapore, London, Amsterdam, and Dubai have successfully developed high-value urban zones around airports, Indian cities—particularly Bengaluru—are constrained by rigid norms that limit land utilisation and push unplanned expansion into peripheral areas.

The issue has been deliberated in high-level meetings chaired by the Additional Chief Secretary, Urban Development, involving stakeholders from HAL, Airports Authority of India (AAI), Air Force, BIAL, and planning agencies. Defence authorities have maintained that additional restrictions are imposed based on technical parameters such as navigation systems, radar communication, and helicopter testing requirements, permitted under Rule 5(2) of GSR 751(E).

However, Karnataka has argued that such discretionary powers should only complement the rules and not override them. Officials have warned that arbitrary extensions of restrictions are leading to sub-optimal land use, rising property costs, and stalled infrastructure projects.

To address the issue, the state has proposed key reforms, including limiting mandatory NOC requirements to a 15 km radius instead of 20 km and introducing clear guidelines to prevent excessive discretionary restrictions by authorised officers.

Additionally, a suggestion has been made to shift helicopter testing operations currently conducted at HAL Airport to the Tumakuru facility, which could ease pressure on Bengaluru’s urban core.

The documents also highlight procedural delays in obtaining No Objection Certificates (NOCs), particularly due to the absence of a fully digital system at HAL. Authorities have called for integration of all airport clearance processes with the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) portal to ensure faster approvals, ideally within a 15-day timeline.

A multi-agency expert

committee comprising representatives from the Air Force, AAI, HAL, and urban planning bodies has also been proposed to review the additional restrictions and recommend corrective measures within a fixed timeframe. With Bengaluru’s rapid urbanisation at stake, the state government has sought urgent intervention from the Centre to align aviation safety norms with the city’s long-term development needs, ensuring that regulatory constraints do not hinder its growth as a global economic hub.