least four-working days before their intended operation. In special cases, this time

limit may be reduced subject to agreement of the said authorities.

ARTICLE 15 SAFETY

1. Each Party may request consultations at any time concerning safety standards

in any area relating to aircrew, aircraft or their operation adopted by the other Party.

Such consultations shall take place within thirty (30) days of that request.

2. If, following such consultations, one Party finds that the other Party does not

effectively maintain and administer safety standards in any such area that are at least

equal to the minimum standards established at that time pursuant to the Convention,

the first Party shall notify the other Party of those findings and the steps considered

necessary to conform with those minimum standards, and that other Party shall take

appropriate corrective action. Failure by the other Party to take appropriate action

within fifteen (15) days or such longer period as may be agreed, shall be grounds for

the application of Article 4 of this Agreement.

3. Notwithstanding the obligations mentioned in Article 33 of the Convention it is

agreed that any aircraft operated by the designated airlines of one Party on services

to or from the territory of the other Party may, while within the territory of the other

Party, be made the subject of an examination by the authorized representatives of

the other Party, on board and around the aircraft to check both the validity of the

aircraft documents and those of its crew and the apparent condition of the aircraft

and its equipment (called "ramp inspection"), provided this does not lead to

unreasonable delay.

4. If any such ramp inspection or series of ramp inspections gives rise to serious

concerns that an aircraft or the operation of an aircraft does not comply with the

minimum standards established at that time pursuant to the Convention, or serious

concerns that there is a lack of effective maintenance and administration of safety

standards established at that time pursuant to the Convention, the Party carrying out

the inspection shall, for the purposes of Article 33 of the Convention, be free to

conclude that the requirements under which the certificate or licences in respect of

that aircraft or in respect of the crew of that aircraft had been issued or rendered

valid, or that the requirements under which that aircraft is operated, are not equal to

or above the minimum standards established pursuant to the Convention.

5. In the event that access for the purpose of undertaking a ramp inspection of an

aircraft operated by a designated airline of one Party in accordance with paragraph 3

above is denied by the representative of that designated airline the other Party shall

be free to infer that serious concerns of the type referred to in paragraph 4 above

arise and draw the conclusions referred in that paragraph.

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