Context:
The Ministry of Civil Aviation has notified the draft Aircraft Security Rules, 2022 which enable the aviation security regulator, Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) to impose penalties upto ₹1 crore on airports and airlines for violation of security measures.
Relevance:
GS II: Government Policies and Interventions
Dimensions of the Article:
- Draft Aircraft Security Rules, 2022
- Key features
- Why such move?
Draft Aircraft Security Rules, 2022
- The rules will supersede Aircraft Security Rules, 2011 and were necessary after Parliament passed Aircraft Amendment Act, 2020 in September 2020.
- It gives statutory powers to BCAS, along with the Director General of Civil Aviation and Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau.
- These allow them to impose penalties which could only be imposed by courts earlier.
- The amendment were necessary after the UN aviation watchdog, International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), raised questions about the three regulators functioning without statutory powers.
Key features
- Once the draft Rules are finalised, the BCAS can impose a fine of ₹50 lakh to ₹1 crore (depending on the size of the company) on airports and airlines if they fail to prepare and implement a security programme.
- They can commence operations only after seeking a security clearance.
- Individuals will also face penalties ranging from ₹1 lakh to ₹25 lakh depending on the nature of offence.
- In order to deal with cyber security threats, the rules also require each entity to protect its information and communication technology systems against unauthorised use and prohibit disclosure.
- The draft rules now authorise airports to engage private security agents instead of CISF personnel at “non-core areas” and assign security duties as per the recommendation of the National Civil Aviation Policy, 2016.
Why such move?
- India’s civil Aviation Sector is facing a unique crisis a crisis of credibility and safety.
- Some of the issues are-
- The windshield of a go air flight cracks mid-air, two go air flights suffer engine snags, a flight could not take off because of a dog on the runway.
- A bird was found in the cockpit of an Air India Express cruising at 37 000 feet.
- One flight experienced engine trouble, and another saw smoke in the cabin.
- Luggage is either not loaded or disappears.
-Source: The Hindu
