Railways Act, 1933

Empowering railway companies to engage in air transport.

14.—(1) The Minister may by order empower any railway company to which Part III of the Road Transport Act, 1932 (No. 2 of 1932), applies to do all or any of the following things, that is to say:—

(a) engage in or carry on the business of air transport;

(b) purchase the whole or any part of or any share or interest in any air transport business carried on by any other person (including any business carried on by such person which is ancillary or incidental to such air transport business) and the property and assets used in or in connection with such business;

(c) purchase, hold, transfer and sell shares in any company carrying on the business of air transport;

(d) lend money to any person carrying on the business of air transport and take security by mortgage or otherwise for the repayment of such money;

(e) construct, repair and maintain, for such company or for any other person, aircraft, machinery, plant and material for use in or for the purpose of air transport;

(f) enter into contracts in relation to air transport, whether carried on by such company or by another person;

(g) use its money and funds for the purpose of doing anything which such company is empowered by an order under this section to do and, in particular, use for that purpose any money in its hands at the date of such order and also any money raised under statutory power before the date of such order (whether before or after the passing of this Act) and not required for the purpose for which such money was so raised;

(h) anything ancillary or incidental to anything which such company is empowered by an order under this section to do.

(2) For the purpose of this section the expression “air transport” means the carriage for reward by air of passengers, passengers' luggage, merchandise, and mails, or any of them, but the powers conferred by an order under this section may be limited by such order to any one or more of those subjects of carriage.

(3) The Minister may attach to any power conferred by an order under this section such conditions and restrictions as he shall think proper and shall specify in such order.

(4) An order under this section shall operate to authorise the railway company to which it relates to do such one or more of the things mentioned in sub-section (1) of this section as shall be specified in that behalf in such order, but subject to such limitations, conditions, and restrictions as are imposed under this section by such order.