Experts say that designated buffer zones around airports are increasingly being encroached upon
Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport has been ranked as the most enclosed airport in the world by a recent global study, raising serious concerns about safety and urban planning. Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport also featured prominently, ranking 12th on the list. The research, led by Belgian academics Taïs Grippa and Frédéric Dobruszkes, highlights the challenges posed by dense urban development around major airports.
The study introduced an “enclosure index” that measures the population within a 15-kilometre radius of an airport. Mumbai topped the chart with an index score of over 2.1 million people, while Ahmedabad scored just over 1 million. Other Indian cities, including Delhi, Bengaluru and Surat, also appeared in the top 50, reflecting how India’s rapid urbanisation is putting pressure on critical infrastructure.
The risks associated with this kind of development were underscored in Ahmedabad on 12 June, when an Air India flight narrowly avoided a crash into residential neighbourhoods shortly after take-off. Eyewitnesses in nearby localities recounted how the aircraft appeared to descend dangerously close to homes, causing panic among residents.
Experts say that designated buffer zones around airports are increasingly being encroached upon. According to Subhash Kumar, a former urban planner with the Airports Authority of India, the three-kilometre safety perimeter around Ahmedabad’s airport has been severely compromised due to unregulated expansion. In theory, a 20-kilometre low-development zone should exist around airports, but this is seldom enforced.
The problem extends to airport funnels—the air corridors used during landing and take-off. In Surat, as many as 20 high-rise buildings were flagged in 2016 for violating funnel area regulations, yet many remain in place, contributing to heightened safety risks. In Mumbai, slums like Dharavi sit directly under flight paths, with little awareness or protection offered to residents living in such hazardous zones.
Architects and engineers argue that solutions like height restrictions are no longer enough. Some, such as Amitabh Pawde, a former Airports Authority engineer, suggest relocating entire airports in cities like Ahmedabad. Others raise alarm over the construction of tall buildings near new facilities such as the airport at Panvel, fearing a repeat of existing planning mistakes.
Urban planning experts have called for stricter implementation of the 74th Constitutional Amendment, which mandates the creation of Metropolitan Planning Committees to oversee infrastructure and development in large cities. Without such oversight, they warn, the country risks further endangering public safety as airports are increasingly surrounded by unchecked construction.
