Customs aerodromes

(1) The Minister may subject to such conditions as he thinks fit, by Order designate any aerodrome to be a place of landing or departure of aircraft for the purposes of the enactments relating to Customs; and he may by Order declare that such an aerodrome shall no longer be a Customs aerodrome. (2) The commander of an aircraft entering the country from abroad shall not, without the special permission in writing of the Minister, cause or permit it to land for the first time after its arrival therein at any place other than a Customs aerodrome, provided that the requirements of this section shall not apply if the commander is required to cause the aircraft to land because he has flown over a prohibited area or if he is compelled so to do by accident, stress of weather or other unavoidable cause. (3) Upon arrival from abroad of an aircraft at a Customs aerodrome, the commander shallCivil Aviation Act 27 (a) immediately take the to the examination station at that aerodrome, or cause it to be so taken; (b) forthwith deliver to the customs officer such documents as may be required from time to time by regulations made by the Minister for such purpose under this Act; (c) cause all passengers carried in the aircraft to leave the aircraft with their baggage for examination, and produce it to the proper officer and unlade all goods and stores in the aircraft, except such passengers, goods or stores as are to be carried on to another Customs aerodrome or to a destination abroad and are permitted by such officer to be carried on without compliance with the requirements aforesaid, provided that, if an aircraft has landed at a Customs aerodrome and the commander through circumstances over which he has no control is prevented from taking it or causing it to be taken to the examination station, he shall remove all goods and stores laden in the aircraft to the examination station in the presence of a customs officer, to whom he shall deliver forthwith the documents required by this sub-section. (4) No person shall, without the special permission in writing of the Minister– (a) import or bring, or be concerned in importing or bringing, any goods in any aircraft into Belize at any place other than a Customs (b) unlade any goods or suffer the same to be unladen from the aircraft in which they were imported except during approved hours and at 28 Civil Aviation Act an examination station approved for such purpose; or (c) remove the goods from an examination station without the authority of the customs officer. (5) The importer, or the agent of the importer, of any goods of which delivery has not been permitted by the customs officer shall deposit the same in an approved transit shed at the Customs aerodrome at which they were imported or in any other place approved by the Comptroller of Customs and, for the purposes of the enactments relating to customs, any goods so deposited shall, until the same shall have been duly entered in accordance with those enactments, be deemed to be goods still on board the importing aircraft. (6) No person shall, without the permission of a customs officer, remove any goods from any transit shed or other place approved by the Comptroller of Customs. (7) No person shall depart on a flight for a place abroad, and no aircraft shall be permitted to depart for a place abroad from any place in Belize other than a Customs aerodrome except with the special permission in writing of the Minister. (8) Before any aircraft shall depart for a place abroad from a Customs aerodrome the commander shall take the aircraft to the examination station at that aerodrome, or cause it to be so taken, and shall deliver to the customs officer all such documents as may be required by regulations made by the Minister for such purpose under this Act. (9) The commander of an aircraft departing for a place abroad shall not permit any goods, stores or passengers to be laden or taken on board the aircraft except at an examination station or before he has given to the customs officer notice of intended departure and application for clearance. Civil Aviation Act 29 (10) No person shall, without the permission of a customs officer, unlade from any aircraft any goods laden therein which have been cleared for exportation. (11) If an aircraft flying to or from a place abroad is required or compelled to land because it has flown over a prohibited area or because of stress of weather, accident or other unavoidable cause, at any place in Belize other than a Customs aerodrome– (a) the commander of the aircraft– (i) shall immediately report the landing to a customs officer or police officer; (ii) shall not, without the consent of a customs officer, permit any goods or stores to be unladen from the aircraft except for the purpose of protecting such goods or stores from damage; and (iii) shall comply with any directions given by a customs officer with respect to any goods or stores carried in the (b) no passengers in, or members of the crew of the aircraft shall, without the consent of a customs officer or a police officer, leave the immediate vicinity of the aircraft except where such departure is necessary for reasons of health, safety or the preservation of life. (12) The person in control of any aerodrome shall keep a record, in a form approved by the Minister, of all aircraft arriving at or departing from the aerodrome and shall on demand produce such record to the Comptroller of Customs or any officer authorized by him, together with all other documents kept at the aerodrome which relate to the movement of aircraft, 30 Civil Aviation Act and shall permit such officer to make copies thereof and to take extracts therefrom. (13) The Comptroller of Customs or any officer authorized by him, or any officer authorised by the Minister, shall have the right to enter upon and inspect any aerodrome and buildings and goods thereon and to board any aircraft and inspect any aircraft and goods therein and all documents relating to the aircraft or to the goods or persons carried therein, and the manager or proprietor of every aerodrome and the commander of every aircraft shall permit such officers to enter and carry out such inspections. (14) Subject to such conditions or requirements as the Minister may impose, any of the duties imposed on the commander of an aircraft by this section may be carried out on his behalf by an authorised agent being a responsible person who represents, and is authorized in that behalf by, the owner or operator of the aircraft. (15) Any goods which are imported, unladen, transshipped or removed contrary to the provisions of this section shall be forfeited, and any person who contravenes the provisions of this section commits an offence and shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding two thousand dollars or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three months or both; and any proceedings in this respect and any penalty incurred shall be without prejudice to any other penalty incurred under any other enactment relating to customs. (16) The provisions of this section shall not apply to any military aircraft except where such aircraft is flown by a civilian pilot and is not commanded by a person who is acting in the course of his duty as a member of a military force.