New Delhi: The Ministry of Civil Aviation on Wednesday shared the draft Aircraft Bill 2023 for public consultation on the ministry's website and sought suggestion from people and stakeholders within 30 days.
The bill extends to every citizens of India and to the persons on aircraft registered in India and to the persons on aircraft registered outside India and to an aircraft operated by a person who is not a citizen of India but has his principal place of business or permanent residence in the country. Under the draft bill, several provisions have been laid out for aircraft Accidents Investigation Bureau.
The Aircraft Accidents Investigation Bureau shall be responsible for carrying out the functions in respect of matters relating to investigation of aircraft accidents or incidents specified in this Act or the rules made thereunder. On emergency powers of the Centre for protecting the public health, "Section 12 provides for the emergency powers of Central Government for protecting the public health by way of making rules including temporary rules without the condition of the rules to be made after publication where it is considered that the ordinary provisions of law are insufficient for the prevention of danger arising to the public health through the introduction or spread of the disease by the agency of the aircraft."
"Such rules/ temporary rules shall not remain in force for more than three months and extendable by central government for a further period of not more than three months in all", it added. Section 14 provides for the power of central government to make rules for securing safe custody and re-delivery of unclaimed property "which is found on any aerodrome or in any aircraft on any aerodrome including payment of charges in respect of any such property before re-delivery."
The Section 16 provides for the power to Central Government to prohibit or regulate construction of buildings, planting of trees, etc., considering among other things, the nature of the aircraft operated or to be operated and the international standards and recommended practice(s) governing the operation of aircraft. While , section 17 provides for compensation to be paid to any person who suffers any loss or damage in consequence of any direction or notification issued under Section 16 and also provides for provision for arbitration including appointment of arbitrator where amount of compensation cannot be fixed by agreement.
