The Rajya Sabha passed the Aircraft (Amendment) Bill 2020, which was tabled by Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, on the Upper House of the Parliament on Tuesday. The Aircraft (Amendment) Bill 2020, which has already been cleared by the Lok Sabha in March this year, seeks to convert Aviation Agencies like the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Bureau of Civil aviation security (BCAS) and Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) into statutory bodies.
Under its implementation, any violation under the Act will attract heavy punishment. For example, carrying arms, ammunition, and explosives or other banned goods on board, and developing illegal construction around the airports will attract fines up to ₹10 lakhs to ₹1 crore.
“..minor amendments in the Act have been carried out by way of addition/ deletion from time to time to meet the varying scenario of Indian and Global Civil Aviation and to keep pace with changing times and developments in the field of Civil Aviation,” a Ministry of Civil Aviation Note said.
“India being one of the fastest-growing nations in the field of Civil Aviation, the regulatory framework of Civil Aviation needs not only to have effective regulatory mechanism but the regulations are also expected to facilitate safe, smooth and rapid growth of the Civil Aviation in India,” it added.