Replace obsolete Aircraft Act of 1934, ask experts

New Delhi: Experts have sought a new, comprehensive law to replace the obsolete Aircraft Act 1934 which still controls the civil aviation sector in India.
"It's (Aircraft Act) an obsolete piece of legislation. The sooner it is replaced with a comprehensive Act, the better," Lalit Bhasin, a senior Supreme Court lawyer, said while initiating a discussion on "Civil Aviation in India: Challenges and Prospects" organised by Observer Research Foundation here today.
Saying DGCA has its own vested interests, Bhasin, suggested that various functions of the DGCA should be separated to make them effective. He said the role of the Airport Authority of India, which is a virtual monopoly now and levies extra-ordinary rates on licensees, required an in-depth study.
Bhasin also stressed the need to have a complete re-look into the various laws, especially the labour laws which still cover even highly paid engineers and pilots who come under the definition of workmen.
The need for a new comprehensive law was also underlined by former Director Generals of DGCA, H S Khola and Satinder Singh and other participants.
Khola said, "the unplanned growth in the sector is responsible for all the ills prevailing now, from increasing costs to lack of infrastructure."
He said there is a need for multiple airports in big cities and multiple runways. He suggested a mechanism like an advisory body which consists of users as well.
23/12/08 Zee News

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Categories: Indian Aviation- In General Dec 2008