G.S.R. 994(E).—Whereas the draft of certain rules further to amend the Aircraft Rules, 1937, was published, as required by Section 14 of the Aircraft Act, 1934 (XXII of 1934), vide notification of the Government of India in the Ministry of Civil Aviation, published in the Gazette of India, Extraordinary Part-II, Section 3, sub-section (i), vide number G.S.R. 833(E), dated 26th August, 2016, for inviting objections and suggestions from all persons likely to be affected thereby before the expiry of the period of thirty days from the date on which copies of the Gazette of India in which the said notification was published, were made available to public;
And whereas copies of the Gazette in which the said notification was published were made available to the public on the 30th August, 2016;
And whereas objections or suggestions received in respect of the draft rules within the period specified have been taken into consideration;
Now, therefore, in exercise of the powers conferred by Section 5 of the said Aircraft Act, the Central Government hereby makes the following rules further to amend the Aircraft Rules, 1937, namely:
1. (a) These rules may be called the Aircraft ( Sixth Amendment) Rules , 2016.
(b) They shall come into force on the date of their final publication in the Official Gazette.
2. In the Aircraft Rules, 1937, after Rule 88A, the following shall be inserted, namely:—
“88B. Regional Air Connectivity Fund.-The Central Government may establish the Regional Air Connectivity Fund for the purpose of providing viability gap funding to aircraft operators to promote regional air connectivity, or for any other purpose connected therewith, and the said fund shall be administered and utilised in the manner as may be specified by the Central Government.
88C. Regional Air Connectivity Levy.-In order to fund the Regional Air Connectivity Fund, the Central Government may impose a levy on scheduled flights being operated within India at such rates as the Central Government may notify from time to time having regard to the seating capacity of the aircraft used for the scheduled flights and the routes on which such flights are operated and the overall requirement of Regional Air Connectivity Fund.
(2) Contributions to the Regional Air Connectivity Fund may also be made by the beneficiary State Governments in the manner and proportion as may be specified by the Central Government.
(3) Contribution to the Regional Air Connectivity Fund may also be made by crediting proceeds from any other source as may be specified by the Central Government.
Explanation.- For the purposes of Rules 88B and 88C, the expression “Regional Air Connectivity” shall mean operation of an air transport service between any two airports in India of which at least one has been declared by the Central Government as unserved or under-served.”.
[F.No. AV.11012/8/2016-A]
Note: The principal rules were published in the Gazette vide notification number V-26, dated 23rd March,1937 and were last amended vide number G.S.R. 977 (E), dated the 5th October, 2016 published in the Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part II, Section 3, sub-section (i), dated the 8th October, 2016.
Ministry of Civil Aviation
[Notification dt. 21st October, 2016]
