Growth of "aircraft taxi" services means Guernsey registry use could take-off

The growth of "aircraft taxi" services worldwide has led to increasing demand for offshore aircraft registration services and asset finance, says Ogier partner Christopher Jones.

Although the number of business jets manufactured worldwide dropped by 7.9% last year, there has been significant growth in "Uber-style" air taxi services, as opposed to direct ownership of aircraft assets.

Although research shows that London is the most popular of the European cities for private aircraft arrivals and departures, the mobile nature of the industry means that operators are increasingly looking to offshore registration providers.  The changes at 2-REG, the Guernsey aircraft registry, allowing it to register aircraft taking fee-paying passengers, as well as its popularity for short-term off-lease registrations, means it is well-placed to take advantage.

Christopher, who is attending EBACE, Europe's biggest aircraft industry event next week along with Guernsey registry operators SGI, said: "We have seen some interesting activity in the innovative aircraft taxi sector, which has reduced costs for passengers through a more flexible service offering.

"The combination of flexibility and scalability in this new model means that we see this as a potential growth area in the coming years."