It is under the administration of the Ministry of Civil Aviation of the Government of India, constituted by an Act of Parliament in 2013 and physically established in 2018.

On 11 July 2013, the Union Cabinet approved the creation of India's first aviation university on 26.35 acres of land available at the Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Uran Akademi in Uttar Pradesh, with a project outlay envisaged at ₹202 crore until 2019.

[1] On 6 September 2013, the Rajiv Gandhi National Aviation University Bill, 2013 was passed by the Lok Sabha.

The bill's object and reason states that the need for the university was felt due to the "marked absence of credible institutions imparting specialised technical and managerial training in air transportation, safety, security and regulatory areas,".

It also gives powers to establish the Court of the University, the Executive Council, the Academic Council, the Board of Affiliation and Recognition, the Boards of Schools, the Finance Committee and other authorities, and also the constitution of a Tribunal of Arbitration for dispute resolution related to contracts between the University and its employees.