THERE’S AN abundance of choice for just about everything these days – from the type of milk to put in your morning coffee to an inexplicably vast array of emojis (more than 3,782 at the time of publication). Aircraft registration is no different, with (almost) every country in the world providing an option to register a business aircraft in their jurisdiction.

But unlike choosing your favourite emoji, the registry that an aircraft owner chooses can have serious impacts, ranging from resale value to maintenance regulations and taxation – among other things. As such, there is not a one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to registering a business aircraft.

The Official Guide to Aircraft Registration 2024 is a handy guide to a wide range of registration options, from popular offshore registries to the more traditional onshore registries, which will help owners understand which registry is going to best suit their requirements.

In this edition, we take a particular focus on a wide cross-section of registration jurisdictions – notably the Isle of Man, Switzerland, Guernsey, and the largest registry in the world – the United States.

This guide also includes Quick Reference Country Data, which provides an overview of over 50 of the most popular jurisdictions to register a business aircraft to help every owner make an informed decision on the best registry for them.

Whilst we aim to make this guide as comprehensive and accurate as possible, we always advise aircraft owners to hire specialist aviation lawyers before taking any steps towards registering their aircraft.

Whatever registry you choose, we hope this guide has provided useful knowledge, contacts and context.

Thank you to all of our sponsors and contributors who supported this edition of the Official Guide to Aircraft Registration.