The Ministry of Civil Aviation on 8th April 2022, has published the Aircraft (First Amendment) Rules, 2022 to further amend the Aircraft Rules, 1937.
Through this amendment, the definition for the term Basic Instrument Flight Trainer, Flight Procedures Trainers, Flight Simulator, Safety Data etc has been inserted.
Further a new rule 29E and 29F has been inserted as follows:
29E. Mandatory safety reporting system.—The Directorate General of Civil Aviation shall establish a mandatory safety reporting system to facilitate collection of safety data and safety information on actual or potential safety deficiencies and specify the procedure for the same.
29F. Voluntary safety reporting system.— (1) The Directorate General of Civil Aviation shall establish a voluntary safety reporting system to facilitate collection of safety data and safety information on actual or potential safety deficiencies that may not be captured by the mandatory safety reporting system established under rule 29E.
(2) The voluntary safety reporting system established under sub-rule (1) shall be non-punitive and afford protection to safety data captured by, and safety information derived from, voluntary safety reporting system and related sources and if considered expedient by the Central Government, the safety data and safety information may be collected through any other agency.
(3) The safety data and safety information so collected under sub-rule (1) shall be handled in a manner so as to prevent its use for purposes other than safety, and shall appropriately be safe guarded and the confidentiality about the identity of the person making report shall be maintained.
As per new rule 38C, no operator shall assign duties to a person as a flight dispatcher without prior approval of the Director-General. An operator may apply along with prescribed fee to the Director-General for obtaining approval of flight dispatcher.
