India's New Aviation Bill Replaces 90-Year-Old Act

New Delhi, Jul 31 (PTI) A bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday to overhaul India's civil aviation regulations by replacing the 90-year-old Aircraft Act.

Civil Aviation Minister K Ram Mohan Naidu introduced the Bharatiya Vayuyan Vidheyak in the Lok Sabha amid protests from a section of the opposition over the Hindi nomenclature of the draft legislation.

"What is the logical reason for changing the nomenclature of the bill? People from south India will be unable to even read the name of the Bill," RSP member N K Premachandran said, opposing the introduction of the Bill.

Naidu said 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 Adhiniyam.

"We are not violating any part of the Constitution," the minister said.

Naidu said the Aircraft Act of 1934 was amended 21 times over the past 90 years and there was a need 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.

The bill includes provisions to regulate the design and manufacturing of aircraft, supporting the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative for self-reliance.

It also gives the Central government more power to prohibit or regulate certain construction activities, issue directives, detain aircraft, and enact emergency orders when necessary.