Registering your Choice
To B (China) or not to D (Germany)? There’s a world of choice when it comes to selecting a registry for your new business aircraft – whether fixed-wing or helicopter. The Official Guide to Aircraft Registration 2025 aims to make that choice easier by setting out the options for you to consider.
Selecting the right registry for your business needs is not just a case of what letters you want to appear on the fuselage of your aircraft. The selection has powerful implications for how you can use your aircraft – solely for private use or availability for charter – tax implications, how it’s financed, who can fly it and many other factors.
Weighing the various implications of your prospective choice can amount to a bewildering maze of details. Our expert guides will help you navigate a path between the various options and how best to answer the question: Which choice best suits my business and personal needs?
We begin with a report from this publication’s global sponsor, the United Arab Emirates’ General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), about how the nation’s new Golden Package of reforms is designed to reshape the business jet industry. Its wide-ranging series of measures aims to lower aircraft finance costs, simplify regulations and grow investor confidence.
From the Middle East, we move to succinct advice from six leading aviation lawyers about how best to choose a registry. The same topic is examined in more detail by two top lawyers who we consulted for more detailed guidance about how the choice of aircraft registry can determine how you can operate the aircraft, where it should be based plus the tax, financing and cost implications and more. Both lawyers conclude: “Don’t let the tail wag the dog,” when making your registry selection.
From the general, we move to the specific as our Jurisdiction Survey section profiles four leading registries – the Isle of Man, Malta, Switzerland and the USA. Starting with a snapshot of each registry’s metrics, we explore how aircraft on the registry can be used, structuring requirements, registration services, costs and more. We also look specifically at the tax ramifications of registering a business aircraft in Switzerland.
Our Country Survey Section summarises all the key information about 50 of the world’s leading registries in one handy, at-a-glance format. From Australia to the USA (and many countries in between), this section offers details of the type of aircraft eligible to be registered, the operations permitted and financing details.
Finally, our guide to aircraft prefixes features the registration letters of more than 150 countries worldwide, as recognised by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). You probably already knew B represents China and D signifies Germany, but do you know your F-OG from your F-OD? If that leaves you bewildered, consult our guide for speedy answers to all your prefix queries.
We know that no one publication can replace the insight of aviation professionals. But we do hope The Official Guide to Aircraft Registration 2025 is a useful introduction to the subject of business aircraft registration and helps you ask the right questions. At the very least, our guide to aircraft prefixes could prove indispensable reading before your next aviation-themed pub quiz.


Contents

UAE’s Golden Package for business aviation
The UAE has unveiled a Golden Package of reforms designed to reshape the business jet industry. Its measures aim to lower aircraft finance costs, simplify regulations and grow investor confidence.
Registering industry views
We ask six leading aviation lawyers for their succinct advice on how best to choose an aircraft registry.

‘Don’t let the tail wag the dog’
That’s the advice from two top lawyers we consulted for more detailed guidance about the factors to consider when selecting an aircraft registry. Aircraft use, tax factors and who can fly the jet are all factors to evaluate.
JURISDICTION SURVEY
These in-depth surveys span a range of detail from snapshot registry metrics to how aircraft on the registry can be used, structuring requirements, registration service and costs plus more.
Isle of Man
Malta

Tax in Switzerland
Switzerland
USA
COUNTRY SURVEY DATA
Nearly 50 countries feature in our handy guide to aircraft registrations worldwide. From Australia and Austria to UAE and USA, we summarise, at a glance, the information you need to know before choosing a registry for your business aircraft. On offer are details of the type of aircraft eligible to be registered, the operations permitted and financing details.
A-to-Z of aircraft prefixes
Ever wondered about the letters on an aircraft fuselage and pondered which country they signify? If so, wonder no more with our guide to prefixes chosen to represent more than 150 countries worldwide, as Iisted by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
Photo on front cover: Image courtesy of Shutterstock.

© 2025 Corporate Jet Investor/Specialist Insight Limited. Registered in England with company number 07265825
No part of this publication can be reproduced without the written permission of the publisher. Although Corporate Jet Investor and Specialist Insight Limited have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of this publication, neither it nor any contributor can accept any legal responsibility for consequences that may arise from errors and omissions or any opinions or advice given. This publication is not a substitute for professional advice.
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