law: 2. Definitions.-
  (1) In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,-
  (a) "aircraft" means any aircraft, whether or not registered in India, other than a military aircraft or an aircraft used in customs or police service;
  (b) "aircraft registered in India" means an aircraft which is for the time being registered in India;
  2[(bb) "airport" means an aerodrome as defined in clause (2) of section 2 of the Aircraft Act, 1934 (22 of 1934);]
  (c) "Convention country" means a country in which the Montreal Convention is for the time being in force;
  (d) "military aircraft" means an aircraft of the naval, military, air force or any other armed forces of any country and includes every aircraft commanded for the time being by a person in such force detailed for the purpose;
  (e) "Montreal Convention" means the Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Civil Aviation signed at Montreal on the 23rd day of September, 1971.
  (2) For the purposes of this Act,-
  (a) an aircraft shall be deemed to be in flight at any time from the moment when all its external doors are closed following embarkation until the moment when any such door is opened for disembarkation, and in the case of a forced landing, the flight shall be deemed to continue until the competent authorities of the country in which such forced landing takes place take over the responsibility for the aircraft and for persons and property on board;
  (b) an aircraft shall be deemed to be in service from the beginning of the pre-flight preparation of the aircraft by the ground staff or by the crew for a specific flight until twenty-four hours after any landing and the period of such service shall include the entire period during which the aircraft is in flight.
  1. 15th November 1982, vide notification No. S.O. 799(E), dated 12th November 1982, see Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part II, sec. 3(ii).
  2. Ins. by Act 40 of 1994, s. 2 (w.e.f. 19-9-1996).