Guernsey vs Malta for aircraft
Everything we track for both registers, side by side. Rows neither register has published show a gap rather than an estimate.
Is Guernsey or Malta cheaper for aircraft registration?Link to this section
The registration fee is the certificate charge the Guernsey Aircraft Registry lists in its published fee schedule and the Malta Aircraft Register sets in Transport Malta's Schedule of Fees, banded by take-off mass. Neither charges an annual registration fee; both bill the airworthiness certificate yearly. WhichFlagToFly dates the Guernsey and Malta fee rows.
| Register | Registration fees | Annual registration fee |
|---|---|---|
| Guernsey | Registering an aircraft costs £300, de-registration £250 and a change of ownership £200, but 2-REG says its fees are flexible to each case.2-REG (Guernsey Aircraft Registry), Fee schedule v10.1, 13 August 2024www.2-reg.com · Fee schedule v10.1, items 1.1-1.3Retrieved 2026-08-12Effective 2024-08-13Open sourceInformational only, not legal, tax or financial advice. Contact a qualified professional for current information. | There is no annual registration fee; the recurring charge is the Certificate of Airworthiness renewal at £200 or £65 per 500 kg.2-REG (Guernsey Aircraft Registry), Fee schedule v10.1, 13 August 2024www.2-reg.com · Fee schedule v10.1, section 4 'Continuing Airworthiness', items 4.2.1 and 4.2.3Retrieved 2026-09-12Effective 2024-08-13Open sourceInformational only, not legal, tax or financial advice. Contact a qualified professional for current information. |
| Malta | Certificate of Registration fees run €80 to €750 by maximum take-off mass, or €60 for a microlight-class airplane; airworthiness is charged separately.Transport Malta, Civil Aviation Directorate, Regulatory Instrument No. 001/2024, 'Schedule of Fees', Version 02, date of entry into force 1st January 2024, issued in terms of Article 5 of the Air Navigation Act (Cap. 641, Laws of Malta)www.transport.gov.mt · p. 1Retrieved 2026-08-29Effective 2024-01-01Open sourceInformational only, not legal, tax or financial advice. Contact a qualified professional for current information. | Malta charges no annual registration fee; the recurring cost is the yearly Certificate of Airworthiness continuance, scaled by aircraft mass.Transport Malta, Civil Aviation Directorate, Regulatory Instrument No. 001/2024, 'Schedule of Fees', Version 02, date of entry into force 1st January 2024, issued in terms of Article 5 of the Air Navigation Act (Cap. 641, Laws of Malta)www.transport.gov.mt · p. 2Retrieved 2026-08-29Effective 2024-01-01Open sourceInformational only, not legal, tax or financial advice. Contact a qualified professional for current information. |
Is Guernsey or Malta an EASA register?Link to this section
An EASA register is one where the EASA Basic Regulation applies directly. Malta is an EU Member State, so the Malta Aircraft Register is one and registers Article 83bis agreements with ICAO. The Guernsey Aircraft Registry applies its own Guernsey Aviation Requirements, accepting EASA among its type-certificate choices. See the EASA rows.
| Register | EASA status | Article 83bis agreements |
|---|---|---|
| Guernsey | Guernsey runs its own ICAO-based rules; type certificates can be chosen from EASA, FAA, UK CAA, TCCA or ANAC.2-REG (Guernsey Aircraft Registry), Follow TC conceptwww.2-reg.comRetrieved 2026-08-12Open sourceInformational only, not legal, tax or financial advice. Contact a qualified professional for current information. | Aircraft under an Article 83 bis agreement must carry a certified true copy of the agreement summary.Guernsey Aviation Requirements Parts 91, 121 & 135, 'General Operating Instructions & Commercial Air Transport Operations', Guernsey ODCA issue 14cidca.aero · GAR 91.47Retrieved 2026-08-12Open sourceInformational only, not legal, tax or financial advice. Contact a qualified professional for current information. |
| Malta | Malta is an EU Member State, so EASA rules apply in full to its registered aircraft.Regulation (EU) 2018/1139 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 4 July 2018 (EASA Basic Regulation), Article 2, EUR-Lex CELEX 32018R1139eur-lex.europa.eu · Art. 2(1)(b)(i)Retrieved 2026-08-12Open sourceInformational only, not legal, tax or financial advice. Contact a qualified professional for current information. | Malta uses Article 83 bis transfers, registered with ICAO, including a 2018 agreement with Portugal.ICAO WAGMAR (Website of Aeronautical Agreements and Arrangements), Article 83 bis agreement summary, ICAO Registration No. 5992dna.icao.int · ICAO Registration No. 5992Retrieved 2026-08-12Effective 2018-04-20Open sourceInformational only, not legal, tax or financial advice. Contact a qualified professional for current information. |
How does import VAT differ between Guernsey and Malta for an aircraft?Link to this section
Import VAT is the tax a customs territory charges on an imported aircraft. Guernsey charges none of its own; the States of Guernsey place the Bailiwick outside both the UK and EU VAT areas. Malta charges import VAT under its Value Added Tax Act, exempting aircraft airlines use chiefly for international transport. See the import VAT rows.
| Register | Import VAT and customs |
|---|---|
| Guernsey | Guernsey charges no VAT of its own and sits outside the UK and EU VAT areas; 2-REG puts permanent EU importation at generally 15 to 25 percent of the aircraft's value.States of Guernsey, Guernsey Customs and Immigration Service, 'Claiming back VAT'www.gov.ggRetrieved 2026-09-06Open sourceInformational only, not legal, tax or financial advice. Contact a qualified professional for current information. |
| Malta | Malta's VAT is 18 percent with no reduced rate for aircraft; aircraft used by international airline operators for reward are exempt on supply and import, and the 2016 aircraft-leasing range tables are no longer published guidance.Value Added Tax Act (Cap. 406, Laws of Malta), consolidated text, legislation.mt (Office of the State Advocate)legislation.mt · art. 19(4)Retrieved 2026-08-29Open sourceInformational only, not legal, tax or financial advice. Contact a qualified professional for current information. |
Which register is faster, Guernsey or Malta?Link to this section
Time to registration is the interval between a complete file and the Certificate of Registration. The Guernsey Aircraft Registry gives a business-day range once documents and the previous registry's deregistration confirmation are in. Transport Malta publishes no processing-time standard, so Malta's figures are practitioner estimates, longer where an Air Operator Certificate is sought. Compare the timeline rows.
| Register | Time to registration | Private and AOC operations |
|---|---|---|
| Guernsey | Registration typically takes one to two business days once all documents and the previous registry's de-registration confirmation are in.Guernsey Aircraft Registry (2-REG) Guide to Transitional Registrations, 5 April 2022, published by Walkers; the quoted answers are given by Sidhant Sharma, Deputy Director of the Registrywww.walkersglobal.comRetrieved 2026-08-29Corroborating source, not the register's own publicationOpen sourceInformational only, not legal, tax or financial advice. Contact a qualified professional for current information. | Private complex operations need a Private Operator Certificate, valid three years; commercial air transport needs an AOC.2-REG (Guernsey Aircraft Registry), Private Operator Certificatewww.2-reg.comRetrieved 2026-08-12Open sourceInformational only, not legal, tax or financial advice. Contact a qualified professional for current information. |
| Malta | About two weeks for a private 9H registration and roughly three to six months to add an AOC: practitioner estimates; Transport Malta publishes no processing time.AIC JETS Corp., '9H, Malta Aircraft Registration' (international aircraft sales and brokerage group), which prints both figures under the heading 'Average time needed to register an aircraft (estimate)'; corroborated by JetHunter's 9H registry page, by Acumum (Malta legal and advisory) on the private leg and by CSB Group on the AOC legwww.aicjetscorp.com · 'Obtaining an Air Operator Certificate (AOC) and a Licence (AOL)'Retrieved 2026-09-12Corroborating source, not the register's own publicationOpen sourceInformational only, not legal, tax or financial advice. Contact a qualified professional for current information. | Aircraft providing air services need 50 percent EU ownership and control; approved-jurisdiction registrants may register private aircraft only, and private operators of complex aircraft file a Part-NCC declaration with Transport Malta.Aircraft Registration Act (Cap. 503, Laws of Malta), consolidated text in force as at 01/01/2024, legislation.mt (Office of the State Advocate)legislation.mt · art. 6(1)(c)Retrieved 2026-08-12Open sourceInformational only, not legal, tax or financial advice. Contact a qualified professional for current information. |
How should an owner choose between Guernsey and Malta?Link to this section
Guernsey or Malta is decided by the owner before either registry: whether an EU register is required, whether private complex operations or commercial air transport are planned, and where the aircraft will be imported and based. A specialist can put those answers to both.
At a glance
The dimensions owners decide on, taken from the rows below. Follow a label to the row it came from and its source.
| Dimension | Guernsey | Malta |
|---|---|---|
| EU member state | No | Yes |
| Red Ensign Group | Yes | No |
| EASA member state | No | Yes |
| Registration mark prefix | 2- | 9H |
Line by line
| Item | GGGuernseyGuernsey Aircraft Registry | MTMaltaMalta Aircraft Register |
|---|---|---|
| Registration | ||
| EASA status | Guernsey runs its own ICAO-based rules; type certificates can be chosen from EASA, FAA, UK CAA, TCCA or ANAC.2-REG (Guernsey Aircraft Registry), Follow TC conceptwww.2-reg.comRetrieved 2026-08-12Open sourceInformational only, not legal, tax or financial advice. Contact a qualified professional for current information. | Malta is an EU Member State, so EASA rules apply in full to its registered aircraft.Regulation (EU) 2018/1139 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 4 July 2018 (EASA Basic Regulation), Article 2, EUR-Lex CELEX 32018R1139eur-lex.europa.eu · Art. 2(1)(b)(i)Retrieved 2026-08-12Open sourceInformational only, not legal, tax or financial advice. Contact a qualified professional for current information. |
| Article 83bis agreements | Aircraft under an Article 83 bis agreement must carry a certified true copy of the agreement summary.Guernsey Aviation Requirements Parts 91, 121 & 135, 'General Operating Instructions & Commercial Air Transport Operations', Guernsey ODCA issue 14cidca.aero · GAR 91.47Retrieved 2026-08-12Open sourceInformational only, not legal, tax or financial advice. Contact a qualified professional for current information. | Malta uses Article 83 bis transfers, registered with ICAO, including a 2018 agreement with Portugal.ICAO WAGMAR (Website of Aeronautical Agreements and Arrangements), Article 83 bis agreement summary, ICAO Registration No. 5992dna.icao.int · ICAO Registration No. 5992Retrieved 2026-08-12Effective 2018-04-20Open sourceInformational only, not legal, tax or financial advice. Contact a qualified professional for current information. |
| Private and AOC operations | Private complex operations need a Private Operator Certificate, valid three years; commercial air transport needs an AOC.2-REG (Guernsey Aircraft Registry), Private Operator Certificatewww.2-reg.comRetrieved 2026-08-12Open sourceInformational only, not legal, tax or financial advice. Contact a qualified professional for current information. | Aircraft providing air services need 50 percent EU ownership and control; approved-jurisdiction registrants may register private aircraft only, and private operators of complex aircraft file a Part-NCC declaration with Transport Malta.Aircraft Registration Act (Cap. 503, Laws of Malta), consolidated text in force as at 01/01/2024, legislation.mt (Office of the State Advocate)legislation.mt · art. 6(1)(c)Retrieved 2026-08-12Open sourceInformational only, not legal, tax or financial advice. Contact a qualified professional for current information. |
| CAMO requirements | Aircraft of 2,700 kg MTOM or above need a Technical Co-ordinator or a validated CAMO.2-REG (Guernsey Aircraft Registry), Continuing airworthinesswww.2-reg.comRetrieved 2026-08-12Effective 2024-08-13Open sourceInformational only, not legal, tax or financial advice. Contact a qualified professional for current information. | Continuing airworthiness must sit with an approved continuing airworthiness management organization (Part-CAMO), under written contract where the owner is not one.Commission Regulation (EU) 2019/1383 of 8 July 2019 amending and correcting Regulation (EU) No 1321/2014, Annex (replacing point M.A.201), EUR-Lex CELEX 32019R1383eur-lex.europa.eu · Annex I (Part-M), point M.A.201Retrieved 2026-08-12Effective 2020-02-20Open sourceInformational only, not legal, tax or financial advice. Contact a qualified professional for current information. |
| Import VAT and customs | Guernsey charges no VAT of its own and sits outside the UK and EU VAT areas; 2-REG puts permanent EU importation at generally 15 to 25 percent of the aircraft's value.States of Guernsey, Guernsey Customs and Immigration Service, 'Claiming back VAT'www.gov.ggRetrieved 2026-09-06Open sourceInformational only, not legal, tax or financial advice. Contact a qualified professional for current information. | Malta's VAT is 18 percent with no reduced rate for aircraft; aircraft used by international airline operators for reward are exempt on supply and import, and the 2016 aircraft-leasing range tables are no longer published guidance.Value Added Tax Act (Cap. 406, Laws of Malta), consolidated text, legislation.mt (Office of the State Advocate)legislation.mt · art. 19(4)Retrieved 2026-08-29Open sourceInformational only, not legal, tax or financial advice. Contact a qualified professional for current information. |
| Cape Town Convention and IDERA | The Cape Town Convention has applied to Guernsey since 1 November 2015, with Alternative A and a 60 day waiting period; registering an IDERA costs £140.UNIDROIT, Cape Town Convention states parties, declarations deposited by the United Kingdom, including the Article 52 extension to the Island of Guernseywww.unidroit.org · Declarations of the United Kingdom, Article 52Retrieved 2026-09-06Effective 2015-11-01Open sourceInformational only, not legal, tax or financial advice. Contact a qualified professional for current information. | The Cape Town Convention has force of law in Malta: an irrevocable de-registration and export request authorization (IDERA) is recorded within two working days and honored within five.Aircraft Registration Act (Cap. 503, Laws of Malta), consolidated text in force as at 01/01/2024, legislation.mt (Office of the State Advocate)legislation.mt · art. 46(2)Retrieved 2026-08-12Open sourceInformational only, not legal, tax or financial advice. Contact a qualified professional for current information. |
| MTOW and aircraft age limits | Aircraft must be type certificated and 5,700 kg maximum take-off mass or above; Channel Islands residents may register any type-certificated aircraft, non-residents a lighter turbine aircraft only on conditions, and amateur-built and vintage aircraft are refused.Office of the Aircraft Registrar, Bailiwick of Guernsey, Guernsey Advisory Circular GAC REG-1, 'Aircraft Registration: Eligibility and Admission Criteria', Fourth Issue, April 2026cidca.aero · GAC REG-1, para 6.2Retrieved 2026-08-12Open sourceInformational only, not legal, tax or financial advice. Contact a qualified professional for current information. | Malta publishes no take-off mass threshold and no age limit; eligibility turns entirely on who the registrant is.Transport Malta, Civil Aviation Directorate, Information and Advisory Notice No. 17, 'Registration of Aircraft', Issue No. 8, dated 7th January 2019www.transport.gov.mt · §1Retrieved 2026-08-29Open sourceInformational only, not legal, tax or financial advice. Contact a qualified professional for current information. |
| Registration fees | Registering an aircraft costs £300, de-registration £250 and a change of ownership £200, but 2-REG says its fees are flexible to each case.2-REG (Guernsey Aircraft Registry), Fee schedule v10.1, 13 August 2024www.2-reg.com · Fee schedule v10.1, items 1.1-1.3Retrieved 2026-08-12Effective 2024-08-13Open sourceInformational only, not legal, tax or financial advice. Contact a qualified professional for current information. | Certificate of Registration fees run €80 to €750 by maximum take-off mass, or €60 for a microlight-class airplane; airworthiness is charged separately.Transport Malta, Civil Aviation Directorate, Regulatory Instrument No. 001/2024, 'Schedule of Fees', Version 02, date of entry into force 1st January 2024, issued in terms of Article 5 of the Air Navigation Act (Cap. 641, Laws of Malta)www.transport.gov.mt · p. 1Retrieved 2026-08-29Effective 2024-01-01Open sourceInformational only, not legal, tax or financial advice. Contact a qualified professional for current information. |
| Time to registration | Registration typically takes one to two business days once all documents and the previous registry's de-registration confirmation are in.Guernsey Aircraft Registry (2-REG) Guide to Transitional Registrations, 5 April 2022, published by Walkers; the quoted answers are given by Sidhant Sharma, Deputy Director of the Registrywww.walkersglobal.comRetrieved 2026-08-29Corroborating source, not the register's own publicationOpen sourceInformational only, not legal, tax or financial advice. Contact a qualified professional for current information. | About two weeks for a private 9H registration and roughly three to six months to add an AOC: practitioner estimates; Transport Malta publishes no processing time.AIC JETS Corp., '9H, Malta Aircraft Registration' (international aircraft sales and brokerage group), which prints both figures under the heading 'Average time needed to register an aircraft (estimate)'; corroborated by JetHunter's 9H registry page, by Acumum (Malta legal and advisory) on the private leg and by CSB Group on the AOC legwww.aicjetscorp.com · 'Obtaining an Air Operator Certificate (AOC) and a Licence (AOL)'Retrieved 2026-09-12Corroborating source, not the register's own publicationOpen sourceInformational only, not legal, tax or financial advice. Contact a qualified professional for current information. |
| Mortgages and charges | Registered charges rank by date of registration and outrank unregistered ones; registering one costs £290 and on default the chargee may repossess and sell.Aviation Registry (Guernsey) Law, 2013 (Order in Council No. XIII of 2013), section 35 'Priority of charges and debts', published by the States of Guernsey on Guernsey Legal Resourceswww.guernseylegalresources.gg · s. 35(1)–(3), Aviation Registry (Guernsey) Law, 2013Retrieved 2026-09-08Effective 2024-08-13Open sourceInformational only, not legal, tax or financial advice. Contact a qualified professional for current information. | Mortgage priority runs by date and time of recording, and registered mortgages survive the mortgagor's insolvency.Aircraft Registration Act (Cap. 503, Laws of Malta), consolidated text in force as at 01/01/2024, legislation.mt (Office of the State Advocate)legislation.mt · art. 29(1)Retrieved 2026-08-12Open sourceInformational only, not legal, tax or financial advice. Contact a qualified professional for current information. |
| Annual registration fee | There is no annual registration fee; the recurring charge is the Certificate of Airworthiness renewal at £200 or £65 per 500 kg.2-REG (Guernsey Aircraft Registry), Fee schedule v10.1, 13 August 2024www.2-reg.com · Fee schedule v10.1, section 4 'Continuing Airworthiness', items 4.2.1 and 4.2.3Retrieved 2026-09-12Effective 2024-08-13Open sourceInformational only, not legal, tax or financial advice. Contact a qualified professional for current information. | Malta charges no annual registration fee; the recurring cost is the yearly Certificate of Airworthiness continuance, scaled by aircraft mass.Transport Malta, Civil Aviation Directorate, Regulatory Instrument No. 001/2024, 'Schedule of Fees', Version 02, date of entry into force 1st January 2024, issued in terms of Article 5 of the Air Navigation Act (Cap. 641, Laws of Malta)www.transport.gov.mt · p. 2Retrieved 2026-08-29Effective 2024-01-01Open sourceInformational only, not legal, tax or financial advice. Contact a qualified professional for current information. |
| Who may register an aircraft | Commonwealth, EEA and EFTA nationals, and companies based there, in the British Islands, the UAE or the USA, can register directly; anyone else registers through a Guernsey resident agent or a Guernsey company.Office of the Aircraft Registrar, Bailiwick of Guernsey, Guernsey Advisory Circular GAC REG-1, 'Aircraft Registration: Eligibility and Admission Criteria', Fourth Issue, April 2026cidca.aero · GAC REG-1, para 5.3Retrieved 2026-08-29Open sourceInformational only, not legal, tax or financial advice. Contact a qualified professional for current information. | Malta, EU, EEA and Swiss citizens and companies may register any aircraft; owners from any OECD country may register private aircraft via a resident agent.Aircraft Registration Act (Cap. 503, Laws of Malta), consolidated text in force as at 01/01/2024, legislation.mt (Office of the State Advocate)legislation.mt · art. 6(1)Retrieved 2026-08-29Open sourceInformational only, not legal, tax or financial advice. Contact a qualified professional for current information. |
| Registration marks | Marks run 2-XXXX and are normally random; a chosen mark costs £525, or £1,250 for heavier aircraft, and reserving one is £55 per three months.Aviation Registry (Guernsey) Law, 2013 as amended, section 21, section 22A and Schedule 3, published by the States of Guernsey on Guernsey Legal Resourceswww.guernseylegalresources.gg · 'Attractive registration mark'Retrieved 2026-08-29Effective 2024-08-13Open sourceInformational only, not legal, tax or financial advice. Contact a qualified professional for current information. | Malta's mark is 9H plus three to five letters or digits assigned on registration; reserving a chosen out of sequence mark costs €250.Aircraft Registration Act (Cap. 503, Laws of Malta), consolidated text in force as at 01/01/2024, legislation.mt (Office of the State Advocate)legislation.mt · Fourth Schedule, Part B, para. 1Retrieved 2026-08-29Open sourceInformational only, not legal, tax or financial advice. Contact a qualified professional for current information. |
| Deregistration process | De-registration costs £250 and the Registrar cannot remove an aircraft until every chargee on the Charges Register has consented.Guernsey Aviation Requirements Part 47, 'Aircraft Registration and Marking', Issue 4, November 2025, published by the Director of Civil Aviation, Guernseycidca.aero · GAR 47.63(b)-(c)Retrieved 2026-08-29Effective 2024-08-13Open sourceInformational only, not legal, tax or financial advice. Contact a qualified professional for current information. | Deregistration costs €50 and needs every mortgagee and IDERA holder to consent; an IDERA holder's own request must be met within five working days.Aircraft Registration Act (Cap. 503, Laws of Malta), consolidated text in force as at 01/01/2024, legislation.mt (Office of the State Advocate)legislation.mt · art. 13(1)(f)Retrieved 2026-08-29Open sourceInformational only, not legal, tax or financial advice. Contact a qualified professional for current information. |
| Register size | 271 aircraft are on the Guernsey register, on our count of the list it publishes each month.Guernsey Aircraft Registry (2-REG), 'Aircraft register, Bailiwick of Guernsey', status 01 September 2026, version 1www.2-reg.com · main register table, pages 1-7 of the 1 September 2026 list, counted 12 September 2026Retrieved 2026-09-12Effective 2026-09-01Open sourceInformational only, not legal, tax or financial advice. Contact a qualified professional for current information. | The Malta register lists 944 aircraft, on our count of Transport Malta's own published register extract, which states no total.Transport Malta, Civil Aviation Directorate, 'Current Aircraft Registry List as at 19 August 2026', the register extract published from the Directorate's Registration of Aircraft pagewww.transport.gov.mt · numbered table, final row of the 46-page extract of 19 August 2026Retrieved 2026-08-29Effective 2026-08-19Open sourceInformational only, not legal, tax or financial advice. Contact a qualified professional for current information. |
| Pilot license validation | A foreign pilot license acceptable to the Director of Civil Aviation is validated for one year at £180, or £50 for Channel Islands residents.2-REG (Guernsey Aircraft Registry), Licenceswww.2-reg.comRetrieved 2026-09-01Effective 2024-08-13Open sourceInformational only, not legal, tax or financial advice. Contact a qualified professional for current information. | A 9H aircraft needs Part-FCL crew; a third country license can be validated by Transport Malta for one year, extended once by one more year only while the pilot converts.Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/723 of 4 March 2020 laying down detailed rules with regard to the acceptance of third-country certification of pilots and amending Regulation (EU) No 1178/2011, OJ L 170 of 2 June 2020, EUR-Lex CELEX 32020R0723eur-lex.europa.eu · Art. 4(3)Retrieved 2026-09-01Open sourceInformational only, not legal, tax or financial advice. Contact a qualified professional for current information. |
| Red Ensign Group membership | Guernsey is in the Red Ensign Group through its shipping register (Category 2); the Group covers shipping registers only, so the aircraft register is outside it.Red Ensign Group, 'Who we are' (About the Red Ensign Group), redensigngroup.orgwww.redensigngroup.org · Who we are, opening line and Category 2Retrieved 2026-09-09Open sourceInformational only, not legal, tax or financial advice. Contact a qualified professional for current information. | Not a member of the Red Ensign Group, which in any case covers British shipping registers only and no aircraft register.Red Ensign Group, 'Who we are' (About the Red Ensign Group), redensigngroup.orgwww.redensigngroup.org · Who we are, membership paragraph and both category listsRetrieved 2026-09-09Open sourceInformational only, not legal, tax or financial advice. Contact a qualified professional for current information. |
| Aircraft management | ||
| Management fee model | Managers typically charge a fixed monthly retainer scaled to cabin size, from low four figures a month for a light jet to roughly US$10,000 to 12,000 for a large cabin, with charter revenue usually split 85/15 in the owner's favor.Business Jet Traveler - Jeff Wieand, What You Need to Know About Aircraft Management Agreements (September 2022)www.bjtonline.comRetrieved 2026-09-01Effective 2022-09-06Corroborating source, not the register's own publicationOpen sourceInformational only, not legal, tax or financial advice. Contact a qualified professional for current information. | Managers typically charge a fixed monthly retainer scaled to cabin size, from low four figures a month for a light jet to roughly US$10,000 to 12,000 for a large cabin, with charter revenue usually split 85/15 in the owner's favor.Business Jet Traveler - Jeff Wieand, What You Need to Know About Aircraft Management Agreements (September 2022)www.bjtonline.comRetrieved 2026-09-01Effective 2022-09-06Corroborating source, not the register's own publicationOpen sourceInformational only, not legal, tax or financial advice. Contact a qualified professional for current information. |
| Management scope | The monthly retainer typically covers dispatch, flight planning, crew oversight, compliance and the safety program, while fuel, insurance, hangarage, crew pay, handling and maintenance normally pass through at cost with no mark-up.Business Jet Traveler - Jeff Wieand, What You Need to Know About Aircraft Management Agreements (September 2022)www.bjtonline.comRetrieved 2026-09-01Effective 2022-09-06Corroborating source, not the register's own publicationOpen sourceInformational only, not legal, tax or financial advice. Contact a qualified professional for current information. | The monthly retainer typically covers dispatch, flight planning, crew oversight, compliance and the safety program, while fuel, insurance, hangarage, crew pay, handling and maintenance normally pass through at cost with no mark-up.Business Jet Traveler - Jeff Wieand, What You Need to Know About Aircraft Management Agreements (September 2022)www.bjtonline.comRetrieved 2026-09-01Effective 2022-09-06Corroborating source, not the register's own publicationOpen sourceInformational only, not legal, tax or financial advice. Contact a qualified professional for current information. |
| Crew employment | Under a management mandate the manager normally hires, trains, employs and pays the crew and bills those costs through at cost, with accrued leave and severance usually falling to the owner when the mandate ends.Business Jet Traveler - Jeff Wieand, What You Need to Know About Aircraft Management Agreements (September 2022)www.bjtonline.comRetrieved 2026-09-01Effective 2022-09-06Corroborating source, not the register's own publicationOpen sourceInformational only, not legal, tax or financial advice. Contact a qualified professional for current information. | Under a management mandate the manager normally hires, trains, employs and pays the crew and bills those costs through at cost, with accrued leave and severance usually falling to the owner when the mandate ends.Business Jet Traveler - Jeff Wieand, What You Need to Know About Aircraft Management Agreements (September 2022)www.bjtonline.comRetrieved 2026-09-01Effective 2022-09-06Corroborating source, not the register's own publicationOpen sourceInformational only, not legal, tax or financial advice. Contact a qualified professional for current information. |
| Ownership structuring | ||
| Owning company minimum capital | Guernsey companies have no minimum share capital, but only a corporate services provider with a full fiduciary license may apply to incorporate one.Companies (Guernsey) Law, 2008, sections 15, 17, 278, 279 and 281, published by the States of Guernsey on Guernsey Legal Resourceswww.guernseylegalresources.gg · s. 17(9)Retrieved 2026-09-01Open sourceInformational only, not legal, tax or financial advice. Contact a qualified professional for current information. | A Maltese private company that holds an aircraft needs share capital of at least €1,164.69, with 20 percent of each share paid up on signing.Companies Act (Cap. 386, Laws of Malta), consolidated text, legislation.mt (Office of the State Advocate)legislation.mt · art. 72(1)Retrieved 2026-09-01Open sourceInformational only, not legal, tax or financial advice. Contact a qualified professional for current information. |
| Beneficial ownership disclosure | Beneficial owners holding more than 25 percent (exactly 25 percent does not count) are filed to a private register held by the Registrar, with changes due within 14 days.Guernsey Registry, 'Guidance on the meaning of beneficial owner', statutory guidance issued under section 35 of the Beneficial Ownership of Legal Persons (Guernsey) Law, 2017www.guernseyregistry.com · Registrar's guidance on Regulation 3Retrieved 2026-09-01Effective 2017-08-15Open sourceInformational only, not legal, tax or financial advice. Contact a qualified professional for current information. | The beneficial owners of a Maltese company that holds an aircraft must be filed with the Registrar and kept current; access is for authorities and anyone proving a legitimate interest, not the public.S.L. 386.19 Companies Act (Register of Beneficial Owners) Regulations, Legal Notice 374 of 2017 as amended by L.N. 184 of 2018, 158 of 2019, 247 of 2020, 127 of 2025, 184 and 226 of 2026, legislation.mt (Office of the State Advocate)legislation.mt · reg. 5(1)Retrieved 2026-09-01Effective 2026-07-10Open sourceInformational only, not legal, tax or financial advice. Contact a qualified professional for current information. |
| CAMO & airworthiness | ||
| Airworthiness review | The Certificate of Airworthiness lasts one year and each renewal is an inspection by a registry-appointed Airworthiness Inspector who recommends renewal to the Director.Office of the Director of Civil Aviation, Guernsey, Guernsey Advisory Circular GAC AIR-10, 'Certificate of Airworthiness', First Issue, July 2024cidca.aero · GAC AIR-10, paras 7.1 and 8.1Retrieved 2026-09-01Effective 2024-08-13Open sourceInformational only, not legal, tax or financial advice. Contact a qualified professional for current information. | An EASA Airworthiness Review Certificate runs for one year, issued by a Part-CAMO with review privileges, and can be extended twice by a year each time while the aircraft stays in a controlled environment.Commission Regulation (EU) No 1321/2014 on the continuing airworthiness of aircraft, consolidated text of 22 February 2026 (EUR-Lex CELEX 02014R1321-20260222, stamp 020.002), Annex I (Part-M)eur-lex.europa.eu · Annex I (Part-M), point M.A.901(a)Retrieved 2026-09-01Open sourceInformational only, not legal, tax or financial advice. Contact a qualified professional for current information. |
| Maintenance program approval | The registry approves the maintenance program within the Certificate of Airworthiness process, and publishes no separate fee or amendment procedure for it.2-REG (Guernsey Aircraft Registry), Initial airworthinesswww.2-reg.comRetrieved 2026-09-01Open sourceInformational only, not legal, tax or financial advice. Contact a qualified professional for current information. | Transport Malta approves the maintenance program, but a CAMO with an approved indirect approval procedure can approve it and its amendments instead, except for escalating safety related tasks.Commission Regulation (EU) No 1321/2014 on the continuing airworthiness of aircraft, consolidated text of 22 February 2026 (EUR-Lex CELEX 02014R1321-20260222, stamp 020.002), Annex I (Part-M)eur-lex.europa.eu · Annex I (Part-M), point M.A.302(a)-(b)Retrieved 2026-09-01Open sourceInformational only, not legal, tax or financial advice. Contact a qualified professional for current information. |
| CAMO fee model | No CAMO publishes a business jet tariff: the norm is an annual retained fee per aircraft, usually bundled into a management or technical services mandate, with the airworthiness review certificate billed separately.Element Aviation - Aircraft Management Costs (provider-published cost breakdown, 4 December 2025)element-aviation.com · Aircraft Management Cost Breakdown tableRetrieved 2026-09-01Effective 2025-12-04Corroborating source, not the register's own publicationOpen sourceInformational only, not legal, tax or financial advice. Contact a qualified professional for current information. | No CAMO publishes a business jet tariff: the norm is an annual retained fee per aircraft, usually bundled into a management or technical services mandate, with the airworthiness review certificate billed separately.Element Aviation - Aircraft Management Costs (provider-published cost breakdown, 4 December 2025)element-aviation.com · Aircraft Management Cost Breakdown tableRetrieved 2026-09-01Effective 2025-12-04Corroborating source, not the register's own publicationOpen sourceInformational only, not legal, tax or financial advice. Contact a qualified professional for current information. |
| Maintenance (MRO) | ||
| Accepted maintenance organizations | 2-REG validates maintenance organization approvals from the UK CAA, EASA, an EASA Member State, the FAA or Transport Canada at £195 per validation.2-REG (Guernsey Aircraft Registry), Continuing airworthinesswww.2-reg.comRetrieved 2026-09-01Effective 2024-08-13Open sourceInformational only, not legal, tax or financial advice. Contact a qualified professional for current information. | Maintenance on a 9H aircraft must be released by an EASA Part-145 organization; shops outside the EU are approved by EASA itself, and FAA repair stations reach that approval through the EU and US safety agreement.Agreement between the United States of America and the European Community on cooperation in the regulation of civil aviation safety, Annex 2 (Maintenance) and Appendix 1, OJ L 291 of 9 November 2011, EUR-Lex CELEX 22011A1109(01)eur-lex.europa.eu · Annex 2, para. 4.4.1Retrieved 2026-09-01Open sourceInformational only, not legal, tax or financial advice. Contact a qualified professional for current information. |
| Engine program norms | Engine programs charge a rate per engine per flight hour, with a buy-in for engines already in service, and nobody publishes an hourly rate because every program is quoted per aircraft.AvBuyer - Gerrard Cowan, Paying for Power: Understanding Costs in Engine Maintenance Programs (14 August 2025)www.avbuyer.comRetrieved 2026-09-01Effective 2025-08-14Corroborating source, not the register's own publicationOpen sourceInformational only, not legal, tax or financial advice. Contact a qualified professional for current information. | Engine programs charge a rate per engine per flight hour, with a buy-in for engines already in service, and nobody publishes an hourly rate because every program is quoted per aircraft.AvBuyer - Gerrard Cowan, Paying for Power: Understanding Costs in Engine Maintenance Programs (14 August 2025)www.avbuyer.comRetrieved 2026-09-01Effective 2025-08-14Corroborating source, not the register's own publicationOpen sourceInformational only, not legal, tax or financial advice. Contact a qualified professional for current information. |
| Aviation insurance | ||
| Insurance requirements | The register sets no published insurance minimum, an estimate because the 2012 Law's amendments and subordinate legislation are not reflected here; the cover a 2-REG aircraft must carry is set by where it flies, for example EU Regulation 785/2004.Office of the Director of Civil Aviation, Guernsey, Guernsey Aviation Requirements (GARs) index, with GAR 47 and GAR 91/125 full texts, and the Air Navigation (Bailiwick of Guernsey) Law, 2012 as enacted, published by the States of Guernsey in Billet d'État XXV of 2012cidca.aero · Guernsey Aviation Requirements (GARs) list, GAR-1 to GAR-191Retrieved 2026-09-01Open sourceInformational only, not legal, tax or financial advice. Contact a qualified professional for current information. | Malta applies the EU insurance regulation directly: 250,000 SDR per passenger, war and terror risks inside the compulsory cover, and third party cover banded by weight from 0.75 million to 700 million SDR.Regulation (EC) No 785/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 April 2004 on insurance requirements for air carriers and aircraft operators, consolidated text of 30 July 2020 as amended by Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/1118 (EUR-Lex CELEX 02004R0785-20200730, stamp 004.001)eur-lex.europa.eu · Art. 2(1)Retrieved 2026-09-01Effective 2020-07-30Open sourceInformational only, not legal, tax or financial advice. Contact a qualified professional for current information. |
| Typical insurance cover | Hull cover is quoted per US$100 of agreed value; the one published trade-press example prices a midsize jet at 0.13 to 0.21 percent of value, a dated floor rather than a current rate (estimate: current rates sit above it), while corporate liability limits commonly run US$100 million to US$300 million.Business Jet Traveler - Stuart Hope, A Guide to Aviation Insurancebjtonline.comRetrieved 2026-09-01Effective 2014-07-08Corroborating source, not the register's own publicationOpen sourceInformational only, not legal, tax or financial advice. Contact a qualified professional for current information. | Hull cover is quoted per US$100 of agreed value; the one published trade-press example prices a midsize jet at 0.13 to 0.21 percent of value, a dated floor rather than a current rate (estimate: current rates sit above it), while corporate liability limits commonly run US$100 million to US$300 million.Business Jet Traveler - Stuart Hope, A Guide to Aviation Insurancebjtonline.comRetrieved 2026-09-01Effective 2014-07-08Corroborating source, not the register's own publicationOpen sourceInformational only, not legal, tax or financial advice. Contact a qualified professional for current information. |
Guides for this comparison
- How long aircraft registration takes
- EASA or non-EASA aircraft registry
- Cape Town Convention and IDERA by registry
- How to choose an aircraft registry
- Aircraft registries and commercial operation
- Who can own an aircraft on each registry
- Which aircraft registries allow private aircraft to fly commercially?
- Malta aircraft registration costs explained
- Guernsey aircraft registration costs explained
- Guernsey aircraft registration process step-by-step
- Malta aircraft registration process step-by-step
- Isle of Man (M-reg) vs Guernsey (2-REG): comparing the two aircraft registries
Services for these registers
Our pages on the services an owner arranges alongside registration.
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