THE Senate yesterday passed the Bill amending the Civil Aviation Act, which gives more powers to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) – the state agency responsible for air safety regulations. The amendment to the Act was passed by the Lower House last month.

The new legislation expands the range of offences relating to aviation safety and increases penalties for some breaches.

The measures come against the background of increasing concerns about airline safety in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on New York and Washington DC in the United States.

The Bill seeks to:

. change the name of the authority from the Civil Aviation Authority to the Jamaica Civil Aviation Authority;

. confer on the authority additional functions of establishing standards and providing certification and operational safety assessment of commercial flight operations;

. expressly empower the authority to expand its power of inspection and accident investigation;

. elaborate on the procedure for the investigation of aviation accidents;

. provide protection against acts of violence in aircraft and airports;

. ensure regulations are in place for operators and owners of aircraft to provide prescribed liability insurance;

. empower the authority to impose administrative penalties; and

. establish an appeal tribunal to hear appeals against the authority’s decisions.

But while the Bill found easy passage through the Upper House, concerns were expressed by senators about the level of the deficit run up by the CAA, mainly because of the failure to collect fees from airlines.

Yesterday, Professor Trevor Munroe, a government senator, while commending the legislation as one that should contribute to the development of Jamaica’s aviation, consistent with international standards, said there was nothing in the regulations relating to the failure of various bodies to pay fees to the CAA.

According to the current estimates of revenue and expenses, the CAA is projecting to operate at a deficit of $144 million for 2004/2005. A considerable chunk of this, or $120 million, was expected to come from a government subvention which, along with income of $8.7 million, should reduce the deficit to $15.24 million.

At the same time, the CAA is planning to spend $194.67 million on the improvement of air navigation facilities with a particular emphasis on a radar training project, upgrading of air navigation services at the island’s two major airports, and upgrading of the Ken Jones Aerodrome in Portland.

“On a quick examination (of the Bill) there is nothing relating to failure to pay fees to the Civil Aviation Authority which has been in deficit for some time,” Munroe said.

Munroe was insistent that while the Senate did not want to delay the Bill there was a need “to get an assertion that efforts will be made to improve the financial position of this agency”.

He was supported by the Leader of Opposition Business in the House Senator Anthony Johnson, who noted that it was not only the CAA that was owed fees, but other entities such as the Airport’s Authority.

Responding, Leader of Government Business Burchell Whiteman noted that measures were already being put in place to collect outstanding sums owed “and these will continue with some urgency”.