Skip to content

Where are you from?

Choose your province and we will tell you how the deputies and senators you elected vote, one by one.

 

We remember it in this browser. If you create an account, we keep it there.
Sign in

Type a law, a topic, a person or a province.

What it is

Safety, inspection and penalty rules for civil aviation

BOE step 7 of 7 · Passed

It is a government bill. Introduced by the Government. It was introduced on 10 January 2003. Introduced by: Gobierno.

Official title: Government bill on Air Safety.

Follow this law

Source: Congreso de los Diputados, file 121/000128· updated 11 Nov

Automatic summary, not yet reviewed

  1. The law divides the State's civil aviation powers: the Ministry of Public Works (Ministerio de Fomento) controls general air traffic in peacetime, while the Defense Ministry watches over and defends airspace and takes over control in emergencies or armed conflict.
  2. The Director General of Civil Aviation can issue technical rules called circulares aeronáuticas, binding on everyone working in the sector, which must be published in the Official State Gazette before taking effect.
  3. Serious civil aviation accidents and incidents are investigated technically to find their causes and prevent them from happening again, never to assign blame. The investigation is handled by an independent commission attached to the Ministry of Public Works.
  4. Investigation information is confidential and can only be shared with courts, the public prosecutor, parliamentary investigation committees, other investigation bodies, or to prevent a serious accident.
  5. Aeronautical inspection, run by the Ministry of Public Works, monitors compliance with civil aviation rules and may use authorized private collaborating entities. If there are serious and immediate risks, an aircraft can be grounded or licenses suspended.
  6. The law sets safety obligations for everyone involved in civil aviation, from aviation personnel and airlines to passengers, with special attention to people with disabilities, older people and children.
  7. A penalty system is created with minor, serious and very serious offenses. Fines range from €60 to €45,000 in general, and up to €4.5 million for companies in the sector; license suspensions or revocations can also be imposed.
  8. Penalty proceedings always start ex officio and must be resolved within 18 months for serious and very serious offenses, and 9 months for minor ones; otherwise the proceedings expire.

Who it affects

  • Airlines, operators and aerial work companies: Must meet safety obligations, undergo inspections and can face fines of up to €4.5 million.
  • Aviation personnel (pilots, crews, controllers): Can only work with a valid license and must follow the orders of aviation authorities.
  • Passengers and users: Must follow safety rules on board and at airports and obey staff instructions.
  • Manufacturers, maintenance shops and air navigation providers: Need valid authorizations and must guarantee the safety and continuity of their services.
  • Airport managers and airport service providers: Must keep facilities safe and have a civil protection emergency plan.

Words worth knowing

Aeronavegabilidad (airworthiness)
The set of conditions an aircraft must meet to fly safely.
Franja horaria (time slot)
Permission for an airline to take off or land at an airport at a specific time.
Servidumbres aeronáuticas (aeronautical easements)
Limits on land use and buildings near an airport for safety reasons.
Cabotaje (cabotage)
Flights between points within the same country; the law bans non-EU foreign airlines from operating them.
Multas coercitivas (coercive fines)
Repeated fines imposed to force someone to comply with an order, in addition to the main penalty.

It summarizes the law as published in the BOE. It is written by artificial intelligence and may contain mistakes: the official text is what counts. Read the official text · How we make summaries

Where it stands

How far did it get?

It took 7 of 7 steps. It reached BOE, and today it is passed.

  1. Introduced10 January 2003Someone registers the text in the Congreso.
  2. Admitted14 January 2003The Bureau of the Congreso accepts it and, for a members’ bill, the plenary decides whether to consider it.
  3. Amendments17 January 2003Groups propose changes.
  4. Committee4 March 2003A committee goes through the text in detail.
  5. Plenary26 March 2003All 350 deputies vote.
  6. Senate3 April 2003The Senate can pass it, amend it or veto it.
  7. BOE19 June 2003It is published in the Official State Gazette (BOE) and comes into force.
See the 12 official steps on a timeline
Jan 2003Feb 2003Mar 2003Apr 2003May 200311. 10 January 2003: Presentación22. 14 January 2003: Comisión de Infraestructuras Publicación desde 14/01/2003 hasta 17/01/200333. 14 January 2003: Calificación44. 17 January 2003: Comisión de Infraestructuras Enmiendas desde 17/01/2003 hasta 07/03/200355. 4 March 2003: Comisión de Infraestructuras Mesa - Calificación desde 04/03/2003 hasta 04/03/200366. 4 March 2003: Comisión de Infraestructuras Debate de totalidad desde 04/03/2003 hasta 06/03/200377. 7 March 2003: Comisión de Infraestructuras Informe desde 07/03/2003 hasta 12/03/200388. 12 March 2003: Comisión de Infraestructuras Aprobación con competencia legislativa plena desde 12/03/2003 hasta 13/03/200399. 13 March 2003: Comisión de Infraestructuras Dictamen desde 13/03/2003 hasta 26/03/20031010. 26 March 2003: Pleno Aprobación desde 26/03/2003 hasta 03/04/20031111. 3 April 2003: Senado desde 03/04/2003 hasta 19/06/20031212. 19 June 2003: Concluido - (Aprobado con modificaciones) desde 19/06/2003 hasta 24/07/2003

Was there a plenary vote?

We have no plenary vote linked to this law in the Congreso’s data.

What happens next

What happens now?

It is law, or will be once published in the BOE. It comes into force on the date its own text sets.

Published in the BOE: Law 21/2003, of 7 July, on Air Safety.

Sources

Where does all this come from?

  • The data comes from the open files of the Congreso, the Senate and the BOE, unaltered.
  • Each deputy’s province is the one of their seat on the day of the vote.
  • We only say “passed” or “rejected” when the majority needed is certain; otherwise we say which side had more votes.

Read the full method · Report an error