Construction on a section of Mumbai Metro Line 7A, the 3.4-km extension connecting Andheri East with Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, has been held up over a height-clearance issue involving the Over-Head Electrification (OHE) system required to operate the line.

The issue concerns the elevated portion of the corridor near the Airport Colony station in Vile Parle East. According to MMRDA officials, the additional height required for the OHE system is around 2.5 metres above the height permitted under the applicable aviation restrictions, according to a report by Millennium Post.

The discrepancy was flagged in 2025, after substantial civil work on the affected stretch had already been completed. MMRDA has said the project’s General Consultant, the SYSTRA-CEG-SMCIPL consortium, was responsible for coordinating the design and statutory requirements, including aviation-related restrictions.

The authority has said the additional height required for the OHE was not adequately factored into the design and planning at the appropriate stage. SYSTRA, however, has maintained that it was not responsible for the issue. The matter is now pending with the Airports Authority of India (AAI), whose final technical assessment on the permissible height is awaited.

MMRDA has said it will undertake a detailed technical review after receiving the report and determine the way forward. The potential consequences could be significant. MMRDA data cited in reports showed that the elevated viaduct in the affected section had been completed & about 95 per cent of the elevated ramp had been constructed by February 2026.

If the additional height is not cleared and no technical modification is possible, part of the elevated structure may have to be reconstructed. Line 7A is planned to connect with the underground Metro Line 3 at the airport, providing a direct metro link between the northern suburbs and the airport.