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Dept for Transport

Answer

Mr. Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what measures his Department takes to guarantee the airworthiness and safety of aircraft operated by foreign airlines and freight companies into the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement. [192803] Charlotte Atkins: International civil aviation is governed by the Chicago Convention. Under the Convention, the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) is responsible for establishing minimum safety standards which contracting states are required to implement. States are required to recognise the certificates issued by other contracting states unless they have reason to believe that they have not been issued in accordance with ICAO standards. ICAO also audits contracting states' aviation authorities to help identify and address any deficiencies in the implementation of international standards. The reports of these audits are made available to all contracting states. If we have doubts about whether an aircraft or airline complies with international safety standards we will arrange for the aircraft to be inspected by the Civil Aviation Authority. Such inspections are carried out in a format established under the European Civil Aviation Conference's (ECAC) Safety Assessment of Foreign Aircraft (SAPA) programme. Reports of all ramp inspections conducted under the SAFA programme are held on a central database and are available to all ECAC states. ECAC is also finalising a system to ensure that all member states are alerted when a significant safety issue with a foreign airline is identified. Any airline from outside the EU, Iceland, Norway or Switzerland which wishes to pick up or put down passengers or cargo in the UK requires a permit from the Secretary of State for Transport. It is a condition of the permit that the airline should be operated in accordance with international safety standards established by ICAO. Permits may be refused, and existing permits suspended or revoked by the Secretary of State. This may occur where there is a breach of a permit condition, which would include non-compliance with international safety standards; however action can also be taken for reasons other than safety. Permit decisions will be reviewed in the light of new information or changed circumstances.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

425 c862-3W; 192803

Session

2003-04

Subjects

Aviation Aircraft Inspections Freight Standards Safety International Civil Aviation Organization

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk