7Removal of appeal to Secretary of State in respect of route licences
(1)Section 69A of the Civil Aviation Act 1982 (c. 16) (regulation of carriage by air by route licences) is amended as follows.
(2)In subsection (7), after paragraph (c) insert—
“(ca)the following modifications relating to appeals—
(i)the substitution in section 65(6), for paragraphs (a) to (c), of the words “until the specified date (see section 69A(7A) below)”,
(ii)the substitution in section 66(5), for the words from “before the expiration” onwards, of the words “before the specified date (see section 69A(7B) below)”, and
(iii)the omission of section 66(6)(a) and section 67(5);”.
(3)After subsection (7) insert—
“(7A)For the purposes of section 65(6) as applied by subsection (6) above, “the specified date” means—
(a)such date as is specified by the CAA for those purposes when giving its decision on the application in question, or
(b)such later date as the CAA may specify for those purposes in accordance with subsection (7C) below.
(7B)For the purposes of section 66(5) as applied by subsection (6) above, “the specified date” means—
(a)such date as is specified by the CAA for those purposes when giving its decision to revoke, vary or suspend the licence in question, or
(b)such later date as the CAA may specify for those purposes in accordance with subsection (7C) below.
(7C)Where the CAA has specified a date as mentioned in subsection (7A)(a) or (7B)(a) above, it may (on one or more occasions) specify a later date for the purposes mentioned in that subsection if the holder of the licence in question—
(a)makes an application to the CAA for it to specify such a date, and
(b)does so before the date that is currently specified for those purposes.”
(4)In regulation 27(1) of the Civil Aviation Authority Regulations 1991 (S.I. 1991/1672) (appeals to the Secretary of State), omit “or a route licence”.
(5)The amendments made by this section do not affect any appeal of which notice is served in accordance with regulation 27 of the Civil Aviation Authority Regulations 1991 before the coming into force of this section.