The FAA has very specific and unexpected interpretations of the definitions determining who can register an aircraft in the US. An invalidly registered aircraft can create regulatory and insurance problems which can arise at an inconvenient time.
Is your company planning on buying a business aircraft or does your company already have a business aircraft?
Aircraft registration eligibility
An aircraft is eligible for U.S. Registration if it is not registered in another country and it is owned by:
- An individual who is a United States citizen,
- A partnership each of whose partners is an individual who is a U.S. citizen,
- A corporation or association:
– organized under the laws of the U.S. or a State, the District of Columbia, or a U.S. territory or possession,
– of which the president and at least two-thirds of the board of directors and other managing officers are U.S citizens, and
– in which at least 75% of the voting interest is owned or controlled by persons that are U.S. citizens and which is under the actual control of citizens of the United States - An individual citizen of a foreign country lawfully admitted for permanent residence in the U.S.,
- A U.S. governmental unit or subdivision
- A non-U.S. citizen corporation organized and doing business under the laws of the U.S. or one of the States as long as the aircraft is based and primarily used in the U.S. (60% of all flight hours must be from flights starting and ending within the U.S.)
Contact Jetstream Law today
Cost and your time spent on aircraft registration will be minimized by working with experienced aviation counsel. You likely heard our name from a friend, broker or pilot and heard how we reduce complexity, identify issues, pinpoint ways to address those issues and give you the knowledge and understanding you want in order to make a decision.
Registration FAQs
Can a company organized outside the U.S. register a corporate jet in the U.S. in its name?
Can a corporation organized in Delaware, and which is owned by a U.S. citizen, but has a non-U.S. citizen as its President register a corporate jet in the U.S.?
Can a corporation organized in Delaware, but which is owned by a non-U.S. citizen register a corporate jet in the U.S. in its name?
Can a limited partnership with a corporate general partner register a corporate jet in its name in the U.S.?
Do the same registration requirements exist for corporate jets operated in a fractional program?
The corporate jet will be sold under a lease with an option to purchase. Should the aircraft be registered in the name of the lessor or the lessee?
What happens to the aircraft’s registration if the limited liability company (which met the FAA’s definition of U.S. citizen) which owns the aircraft is converted to a limited partnership with a corporate partner?
What is an owner trust?
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