Jersey Aircraft Registry grows the aircraft registration alphabet
An N-registered Gulfstream G450 business jet.
Jersey is the latest island that wants to register your aircraft.
ZJ. Zulu Juliet. The Channel Island of Jersey this week announced that that will be its prefix for aircraft on the Jersey Aircraft Register and that it hopes to open for business in September.
The proliferation of aircraft registries is amazing. Seven years ago, off-shore aircraft registration was pretty much limited to the ABCs of Aruba (P4), Bermuda (VPB/VQP) and Cayman (VPC).
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Since then we have had the launch of the Isle of Man (M- ), San Marino (T7), the Guernsey/Channel Island Registry (better known as 2-Reg) and now, Jersey. We have also see Malta (9H) targeting business jets – particularly operators.
There has never been so much choice for aircraft owners. And the competition, particularly the focus on customer service, has been extremely positive for everyone. So far, at least, there does seem to be room for them all.
The Isle of Man, which has just celebrated its seventh birthday, has 481 aircraft on its registry. San Marino, which launched in December 2012, already has 76 aircraft. Guernsey, which launched in December, has a decent number of off-lease commercial aircraft and is taking its first large business jet in the next few days. Five years ago five companies on Malta held Aircraft Operator Certificates (AOCs). There are now 21 AOCs on the Mediterranean island.
ALSO READ: 10 private jets on the Isle of Man Aircraft Registry
This success is encouraging other countries. At least four other jurisdictions are talking about following Jersey and launching new business jet registries. One of these is Ireland. Ireland leads the world in commercial aircraft leasing and is keen to attract business jets. The country is considering launching a dedicated business jet registry (even though it already has a well-developed aircraft registry).
It is fair to question how many more business jet registries the world needs. Especially when you consider that 66 per cent of the global business jet fleet – some 13,277 aircraft – are registered in just one building in Oklahoma City. But as the business jet market becomes more global, the demand may be there.
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