Licensing of air transport and commercial flying

(1) The Minister may make regulations– (a) to secure that aircraft shall not be used in Belize by any person– (i) for plying, while carrying passengers or goods for hire or reward, on such journeys or classes of journeys (whether beginning and ending at the same point or different points) as may be prescribed; or (ii) for flying undertaken for the purpose of any trade or business as may be prescribed, except under the authority of, and in accordance with, a licence or permit granted by the authority specified in the regulations; (b) as to the circumstances in which a licence or permit may or shall be granted, refused, revoked or suspended, and as to the matters to which the licensing authority specified in the regulations is to have regard in deciding whether to grant or refuse a licence or permit; (c) as to appeals from the licensing authority by persons interested in the grant, refusal, revocation or suspension of any licence or permit under the regulations; (d) as to the conditions which may be attached to such licence or permit (including conditions as Civil Aviation Act 15 to fares, freight rates or other charges to be charged by the holder of the licence or permit), and for securing compliance with any conditions so attached; (e) as to the information to be furnished by an applicant for, or the holder of, such a licence or permit to such authorities as may be prescribed, including details of the resources of the applicant and the financial arrangements made by him in respect of the business activities in which he is, or may be expected to be, engaged; (f) prescribing the fees to be paid in respect of the grant or renewal of a licence or permit; (g) exempting from the provisions of the regulations or any of them, flights of such description as may be prescribed, and such regulations may make different provisions as respects different classes of aircraft and different classes of licences. (2) Where the competent authority has reason to believe that an aircraft is intended to be used in contravention of any regulations under this section, he may give to the person appearing to him to be in command of the aircraft a direction that he shall not permit the aircraft to take off until the direction is revoked. (3) Regulations under this section may, for the purpose of securing compliance with the regulations or direction, provide for the imposition, on summary conviction, of the following penalties– (a) in the case of a first offence, a fine not exceeding two thousand dollars or imprisonment for a term not exceeding six 16 Civil Aviation Act months, or both such fine and term of imprisonment; (b) in the case of a second or subsequent offence, a fine not exceeding twenty-five thousand dollars or imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years, or both such fine and term of imprisonment. (4) In this section, “competent authority” means the Minister, the Director of Civil Aviation, or any other person authorised by the Minister in that behalf.