Ajit Singh reconstitutes Aircraft Acquisition Committee
27 Oct 2012
Civil aviation minister Ajit Singh on Friday approved constitution of a new `Aircraft Acquisition Committee' (AAC), which will consider, examine and make recommendations on all proposals for providing air transport services and for permitting import or acquisition of aircraft for various purposes.
The ministry has, meanwhile, streamlined the procedure for consideration and approval of applications with timelines stipulated for various stages of processing.
The new AAC, headed by additional secretary and financial adviser (chairman), has H S Kohla, former DGCA; chairman of Airports Authority of India, director-general of civil aviation, commissioner of the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security and joint secretary (Domestic Transport) as member convener.
The domestic transport section in the civil aviation ministry will serve as the secretariat of the committee. The AAC will examine and appraise applications/proposals, from the perspectives of air transport capacity required to meet the air traffic demand, as well as the safety, security, financial, commercial and other relevant aspects of the proposal to ensure orderly growth of air transport services. After examination and appraisal, the AAC will make appropriate recommendations.
The AAC will recommend the operation of scheduled air transport services, regional scheduled air transport services, non-scheduled air transport services, acquisition of aircraft for flight training institutes.
It would also recommend the type of aircraft to be purchased by private parties.
The AAC will also give ''In-Principle Approval'' for import/acquisition of aircraft on the request of the applicant to enter into long-term contract of supply with other parties like manufacturer, lessor or financer and also to plan their operations in future.
The AAC will also decide on the extension for initial 'No Objection Certificates' and import permissions, actual induction of aircraft for which 'in-principle' approval has been obtained earlier as also the replacement of aircraft if the seating capacity of the replacement aircraft exceeds by more than 10 per cent of the capacity of the aircraft being replaced.
