India is one of the fastest growing aviation markets of the world. The country is ranked numero uno for placing record number of new aircraft orders. Indian domestic aviation market was one of the first to recover post-pandemic. If we keep listing India's achievements in the commercial aviation sector, the list will go on and on.
Realising Indian aviation sector's potential and robust growth dynamics, Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu has taken it upon himself to provide as much support to aviation stakeholders of the country as possible.
Also Read
As a testament to this, the minister recently tabled a brand-new aviation Bill called Bhartiya Vayuyan Vidheyak Bill 2024 aimed at improving the ease of doing business in aviation sector and support Prime Minister Narendra Modi's dream of Atmanirbhar Bharat.
This bill will remove the redundancies and replace the 90-year-old, British Era Aviation Act of 1934. Let is do a detailed breakdown of what the new Bill is all about.
More Power To Regulators
The new Bill will grant additional power to civil aviation regulatory bodies like Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), and the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) to regulate and oversee the aviation sector, ensuring stricter compliance and enhanced safety standards. Thus, the Bill aims to align India’s policies to be at par with international standards.
Boost To Aircraft Manufacturing
The Bill includes provisions to set up final assembly line (FAL) for the design and manufacturing of aircraft in India thus giving a major boost to Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative.
The Bill vests more power and authority with the central government to regulate or prohibit certain construction activities, issue directives, detain aircraft, and enact emergency orders as need arises.
Air Connectivity and MRO
As a part of the newly-proposed Bill, the central government will now have more power and increased control over air routes like prohibiting/restricting flight movement over certain sensitive areas.
The Bill also has provisions to ensure a strong support system for the upliftment of Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) services and create a sound eco-system for MRO sector.
Other Key Aspects
* Another key element is the transfer of authority for issuance of Radio Telephone Operator (Restricted) Certificate and Licence. As per the current Aviation Act of 1934, the certificate is issued under MoCA, while the new bill proposes to transfer this to DGCA.
* Besides the above, the bill also specifies Rules for cancellation of pilot-licenses in case of dangerous flying
Guidelines for compensating passengers
* Detention, procession and repossession of aircraft create a level playing ground for operators and making life easier for lessors.
* The new proposed bill provides a comprehensive framework for managing aviation operations in India.
* Interestingly, the bill has an updated definition of aircraft that covers comprehensive coverage of all flying machines. The new definition is: 'Any machine capable of deriving support in the atmosphere from air reactions, excluding reactions against the Earth's surface.'
Why Replace The Existing Act
The archaic Aircraft Act of 1934 has been amended 21 times so far, and experts feel its high time that the booming Indian aviation sector is granted a new fresh bill. After the bill was tabled in the parliament, MoCA posted on social media stating that the bill seeks to remove redundancy, address all concerns and aligns with the governing principles of civil aviation across the globe.
Opposition To The New Bill
The Bill has been questioned by a section of Opposition over the Hindi nomenclature of the draft legislation. RSP MP N K Premachandran opposed the introduction of the bill and asked about the logic behind changing the nomenclature of the bill. "People from south India will be unable to even read the name of the bill," Premachandran said.
To this, the Civil Aviation Minister responded by saying that no part of the Constitution is being violated and that the objection to the nomenclature of the bill was settled during the discussion on the three criminal justice laws -- Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniya.
If the Bill is approved, India’s aviation sector will see a new and refreshed set of norms and rules to march forward in its path towards glory.
Published: 05 Aug 2024, 09:25 am IST
Related Topics
Disclaimer: Kindly avoid objectionable, derogatory, unlawful and lewd comments, while responding to reports. Such comments are punishable under cyber laws. Please keep away from personal attacks. The opinions expressed here are the personal opinions of readers and not that of Mathrubhumi.