Highlights on CAAC’s new Emergency Response Regulations

The Civil Aviation Administration of China (‘CAAC’) issued a new regulation on ‘Flight Accident Emergency Response and Family Assistance’ (‘Emergency Response Regulations’) in respect of civil aviation accidents, which came into effect on 1 January 2006.

The procedures introduced by this legislation follow the implementation of similar programs in other jurisdictions. The regulation seeks to establish a framework for the provision of assistance in the emergency response following an aircraft accident, with an emphasis on the need to provide essential material and emotional support to the affected passengers and their next of kin.

Despite the improvements made to aircraft safety in recent years, the rising passenger loads and the increasingly important role China plays in the global aviation scene make it necessary to prepare for emergency response situations in civil aviation accidents. The planning and coordination required to deal swiftly with an aviation incident has to be put in