Bill to replace Aircraft Act, 1934 moved in Rajya Sabha

Pic/PTI

A bill to replace the Aircraft Act, 1934 to enable ease of doing business and to provide for manufacture and maintenance in the aviation sector was moved for passing in Rajya Sabha on Tuesday. Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu moved the Bharatiya Vayuyan Vidheyak, 2024 for consideration and passing in Rajya Sabha.

The Loksabha has aleady passed the bill. Naidu said in a social media post later that the bill is a landmark step towards modernizing India's aviation framework, aligning with global standards, and fostering growth in the aviation sector. According to statement objects and reasons of the bill, the Aircraft Act, 1934 was enacted to make better provision for the control of the manufacture, possession, use, operation, sale, import and export of aircraft.

The regulation of civil air transport within the territory and the airspace above India, including regulation of international air services of national and foreign air carriers is the sovereign function of the Government of India and the same is given effect to under this Act, having regard to the international regulations, bilateral and multilateral agreements and arrangements to which India is a contracting party or which has been acceded to or ratified by India.

The statement said the Aircraft Act, 1934 has been amended several times to enhance safety, oversight and to meet requirements for sustainable growth of aviation sector and to give effect to the provisions of international conventions.

"As a result of numerous amendments over a period of ninety years, a need is felt to address the ambiguities and confusion experienced by the stakeholders, to remove redundancies, to enable ease of doing business and to provide for manufacture and maintenance in the aviation sector and to re-enact the Act in the form of a Bill - Bharatiya Vayuyan Vidheyak, 2024."

The Bharatiya Vayuyan Vidheyak, 2024 seeks to provide for design, manufacture and maintenance of aircraft and related equipment, empower the Central Government to regulate issuance of Radio Telephone Operator (Restricted) Certificate and licence to provide for ease of business and make rules to implement the Convention relating to international civil aviation and the other matters relating to civil aviation security.

It also seeks to empower the Central Government to issue orders in emergency in the interest of public safety or tranquillity, provide for payment of compensation for loss or damage in such manner as provided under the Act and provide for appeal against the matters relating to compensation, licence, certificate or approval and adjudication of penalties.

The bill provides or imprisonment, fine or penalties for contravention of the provisions of the Act or the rules besides removing ambiguities and redundancies. It provides for repeal of the Aircraft Act, 1934 and regulatory provisions for effective implementation of the proposed legislation.

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