20 June, 2025:
A week after the Air India crash in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, the Ministry of Civil Aviation has released new draft regulations aimed at enhancing control over structures that could endanger aircraft safety.
Titled the Aircraft (Demolition of Obstructions) Rules, 2025, the draft was issued on June 18 and will come into effect upon its publication in the Official Gazette.
The proposed rules aim to empower authorities to take prompt action against buildings, trees, and other obstacles that breach height restrictions in designated aerodrome zones. This move is part of broader efforts to prevent future accidents caused by obstructions along flight paths.
"Where any notification has been issued by the Central Government under sub-section (1) of section 18 of the Act and the officer-in-charge of the concerned aerodrome has reason to believe that any building or tree exists in violation of the provisions of the aforesaid notification, he shall serve a copy of the notification on the owner of the building or tree, as the case may be, in accordance with the procedure laid down in sub-section (3) of said section," the draft reads.
Under the draft, any structure found violating the prescribed height limits may be served a notice by the officer-in-charge of an aerodrome. Owners must submit detailed information - including structure dimensions and site plans - within sixty days. Failure to comply could result in enforcement action, including demolition or height reduction.
According to the draft rules, the owner of any building or tree that obstructs an aerodrome must demolish it or reduce its height in accordance with the civil aviation authority’s order within 60 days of receiving the directive.
Upon receiving a report from the officer-in-charge of the aerodrome, the District Collector has the authority to carry out the demolition, tree cutting, or height reduction. This action will follow the same procedures used for removing unauthorized constructions within the district, the rules state.
Additionally, officers are permitted to enter the premises during daylight hours—after notifying the owner—to assess whether the structure qualifies for demolition. If the owner fails to cooperate, officials may act based on the available information and escalate the matter to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), as outlined in the draft regulations.
"Before forwarding the details to the Director General, the officer-in charge of the aerodrome shall satisfy himself about the correctness of the details and for that purpose, he shall be empowered to enter the premises in question and carry out physical verification of the dimensions of the building or tree, as the case may be, during daylight hours and with reasonable prior notice to the owner, who shall be duty bound to extend full cooperation during such physical verification," it further added.
Owners have the right to appeal orders to the First or Second Appellate Officer. Appeals must be filed in the prescribed form along with supporting documents and a fee of Rs 1,000. However, only those who comply with the orders may claim compensation under section 22 of the Bharatiya Vayuyan Adhiniyam, 2024. Any new non-compliant structures (/topic/structures) built after the notification will not be eligible for compensation.
The Civil Aviation Ministry has invited objections or suggestions from the public within twenty days of the notification's publication. Responses may be sent to the Director-General of Civil Aviation.
Last week the London-bound Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crashed into a medical hostel complex in Meghaninagar area moments after take-off on June 12, killing all but one of the 242 people aboard and 29 others on the ground.
The aircraft departed Ahmedabad airport at 1:39 PM on June 12, with the pilot issuing a Mayday distress call shortly after take-off before the plane crashed into the medical complex located outside the airport compound.
