Rajya Sabha passes carriage by Air amendments bill

The parliament passed the Carriage by Air amendment bill to empower Union government to revise the limits of liability for airlines and compensation as per the Montreal Convention which India accepted in 2009.

Flash points

• The Bill intends to review the liability limit for damage in case of death or bodily injury for each person
• The bill enhances compensation for air travellers in case of death, injury, lost baggage or even inordinate delay in flights
• With the amendments implemented, Indian airlines would be required to pay compensation amount that is equivalent to the rates paid by their global counterparts
• This bill was passed in Lok Sabha in December 2015 and now with the approval of Rajya Sabha it will be sent to the assent of the President according to article 111 of the constitution

Carriage by Air amendment Act

• The Bill amends the Carriage by Air Act, 1972.The Act regulates carriage by air and gives effect to the Warsaw Convention, 1929, the Warsaw Convention as amended by the Hague Protocol, 1955, and the Montreal Convention, 1999
• The Act also provides for application of the international rules to domestic travel, subject to exceptions and adaptations.

Montreal Convention Act

• The Montreal Convention establishes airline liability in the case of death, injury or delay to passengers or in cases of delay, damage or loss of baggage and cargo
• The Convention also provides for reviewing the limits of liability of the air carriers every five years. The Bill seeks to amend the Act to adhere to the revised limits of liability

Points to note

• The bill was introduced in LS by Civil Aviation Minister P.Ashok Gajapati Raju
• Minister of state for parliamentary affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi sought deputy chairman P J Kurien’s permission to move the bill
• CPM and congress members demanded for discussion, during discussion Yechury(CPM) told that bill should be brought back in amended form so that there is no need to come back to amend it after five years, when the Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) are revised again

Revised liabilities

•  Damage sustained in case of death or bodily injury for each person- Rs.113100 from 1,00,000
• Damage caused by delay in carriage for each person-Rs.4694 from 4100
• Destruction, loss, damage or delay with respect to baggage for each person-Rs.1131 from 1000