HC Deb 01 February 1996 vol 270 cc842-3W
Mr. Allen

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what action(a) has been or (b) will be taken against Air Algerie in respect of its not applying for permits. [12173]

Mr. Norris

Under the Air Navigation (No. 2) Order 1995, a permit can be issued to the operator of the aircraft or the charterer of the aircraft or to the Government of the country in which the aircraft is registered. In this particular case, responsibility for obtaining permits for the cargo charter flights operated from Coventry in December 1994 rested with the UK charterer, Phoenix Aviation. Applications were received from this company but insufficient documentation was supplied to enable a permit to be issued.

In light of the fact that flights operated without the necessary permits, the Department in conjunction with the Civil Aviation Authority conducted an investigation into the circumstances of the flights to determine whether there should be any prosecution action. However, Phoenix Aviation were placed in liquidation before any charges could be laid.

Mr. Allen

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how he proposes to modify the flight permit scheme to ensure compliance in accordance with recommendations of the air accident investigation branch's accident report on the Air Algerie Boeing 737 accident at Coventry in December 1994. [12174]

Mr. Norris

My noble Friend the Minister for Aviation and Shipping announced on 10 January that the Department had amended its procedures for the approval of wet leased aircraft—aircraft leased with crew—in accordance with the recommendation made by the air accident investigation branch. These amended procedures will require the provision of a statement from the applicant airline as to which airline's operations and flight manuals will be applicable to the proposed flight. This change will clarify responsibilities as regards future applications involving the use of wet leased aircraft.

Mr. Jim Cunningham

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what action he will be taking as a result of the recent report into the Coventry air crash in December 1994. [12956]

Mr. Norris

My noble Friend the Minister for Aviation and Shipping announced on 10 January that the Department had reviewed its permit procedures as recommended by air accident investigation branch and taken action to amend the procedures for the approval of the operation of wet leased aircraft—aircraft leased with crew—by foreign aircraft. These amended procedures require the provision of a statement from the applicant airline as to which airline operations and flight manuals will be applicable for the proposed flight. This change will clarify permit responsibilities as regards future applications involving the use of wet leased aircraft.