Ram Mohan Naidu Unveils New Aviation Bill To Overhaul British-Era Legislation

On Wednesday, Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu presented the Bharatiya Vayuyan Vidheyak, 2024, in the Lok Sabha, aiming to overhaul civil aviation regulations and replace the 90-year-old Aircraft Act. This proposed legislation is designed to update and streamline the current framework by incorporating provisions for aircraft design and manufacturing, aligning with the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative for self-reliance.

In his address to the lower house, Naidu emphasized the necessity of new legislation, highlighting the numerous amendments made to the 1934 Act over the decades. “As a result of numerous amendments over a period of 90 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 aforesaid Act in the form of a Bill,” Naidu explained in the bill’s ‘statement of objects and reasons.’

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The bill aims to enhance the Central government’s authority, including regulating aircraft design, manufacturing, and maintenance. It also grants powers to prohibit or regulate certain construction activities, issue directives, detain aircraft, and enact emergency orders as needed.

During the bill’s introduction, some opposition members raised concerns about the bill’s Hindi nomenclature. RSP member N K Premachandran questioned the rationale behind the name change, suggesting it may be inaccessible to people from South India. Naidu responded, noting that such objections were previously addressed during discussions on other criminal justice laws.

The bill sets out ten primary objectives, such as regulating aircraft design, manufacturing, and maintenance. It also aims to establish rules for international aviation standards, civil aviation security, and emergency orders for public safety. However, some experts have noted that the new bill does not appear significantly different from the 1934 Act. The government has yet to clarify the differences between the old and new legislation.

Industry experts have raised concerns about the bill’s approach. Mark Martin, CEO of Martin Consulting, criticized the bill for fostering a punitive regulatory environment rather than encouraging cooperative relationships between regulators and operators. Mohan Ranganathan echoed these concerns, advocating for an independent regulator and Accident Investigation Bureau free from Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) interference to ensure a safe and efficient aviation system.

The bill is one of six legislative proposals outlined by the government as part of its agenda disclosed on July 19, ahead of the Budget session, which is scheduled to run until August 12.

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