The Air Navigation Order 1989

Registration of aircraft in the United Kingdom

4.—(1) The Authority shall be the authority for the registration of aircraft in the United Kingdom and shall keep the register on its premises and may record therein the particulars specified in paragraph (7) of this article in a legible or a non-legible form so long as the recording is capable of being reproduced in a legible form.

(2) Subject to the provisions of this article, an aircraft shall not be registered or continue to be registered in the United Kingdom if it appears to the Authority that:

(a) the aircraft is registered outside the United Kingdom and that such registration does not cease by operation of law upon the aircraft being registered in the United Kingdom;

(b) an unqualified person holds any legal or beneficial interest by way of ownership in the aircraft or any share therein;

(c) the aircraft could more suitably be registered in some other part of the Commonwealth; or

(d) it would be inexpedient in the public interest for the aircraft to be or to continue to be registered in the United Kingdom.

(3) The following persons and no others shall be qualified to hold a legal or beneficial interest by way of ownership in an aircraft registered in the United Kingdom or a share therein:

(a) The Crown in right of Her Majesty’s Government in the United Kingdom;

(b) Commonwealth citizens;

(c) citizens of the Republic of Ireland;

(d) British protected persons;

(e) bodies incorporated in some part of the Commonwealth and having their principal place of business in any part of the Commonwealth; or

(f) firms carrying on business in Scotland.

In this sub-paragraph “firm” has the same meaning as in the Partnership Act 1890(1).

(4) If any unqualified person residing or having a place of business in the United Kingdom holds a legal or beneficial interest by way of ownership in an aircraft, or a share therein, the Authority, upon being satisfied that the aircraft may otherwise be properly so registered, may register the aircraft in the United Kingdom. The person aforesaid shall not cause or permit the aircraft, while it is registered in pursuance of this paragraph, to be used for the purpose of public transport or aerial work.

(5) If an aircraft is chartered by demise to a person qualified as aforesaid the Authority may, whether or not an unqualified person is entitled as owner to a legal or beneficial interest therein, register the aircraft in the United Kingdom in the name of the charterer upon being satisfied that the aircraft may otherwise be properly so registered, and subject to the provisions of this article the aircraft may remain so registered during the continuation of the charter.

(6) Application for the registration of an aircraft in the United Kingdom shall be made in writing to the Authority, and shall include or be accompanied by such particulars and evidence relating to the aircraft and the ownership and chartering thereof as it may require to enable it to determine whether the aircraft may properly be registered in the United Kingdom and to issue the certificate referred to in paragraph (8) of this article. In particular, the application shall include the proper description of the aircraft according to column 4 of the “General Classification of Aircraft” set forth in Part A of Schedule 1 to this Order.

(7) Upon receiving an application for the registration of an aircraft in the United Kingdom and being satisfied that the aircraft may properly be so registered, the Authority shall register the aircraft, wherever it may be, and shall include in the register the following particulars:

(a) the number of the certificate;

(b) the nationality mark of the aircraft, and the registration mark assigned to it by the Authority;

(c) the name of the constructor of the aircraft and its designation;

(d) the serial number of the aircraft; and

(e) (i) the name and address of every person who is entitled as owner to a legal interest in the aircraft or a share therein, or, in the case of an aircraft which is the subject of a charter by demise, the name and address of the charterer by demise; and

(ii) in the case of an aircraft registered in pursuance of paragraph (4) or (5) of this article, an indication that it is so registered.

(8) The Authority shall furnish to the person in whose name the aircraft is registered (hereinafter in this article referred to as “the registered owner”) a certificate of registration, which shall include the foregoing particulars and the date on which the certificate was issued:

Provided that the Authority shall not be required to furnish a certificate of registration if the registered owner is the holder of an aircraft dealer’s certificate granted under this Order who has made to the Authority and has not withdrawn a statement of his intention that the aircraft is to fly only in accordance with the conditions set forth in Part C of Schedule 1 to this Order, and in that case the aircraft shall fly only in accordance with those conditions.

(9) The Authority may grant to any person qualified as aforesaid an aircraft dealer’s certificate if it is satisfied that he has a place of business in the United Kingdom for buying and selling aircraft.

(10) Subject to paragraphs (4) and (5) of this article, if at any time after an aircraft has been registered in the United Kingdom an unqualified person becomes entitled to a legal or beneficial interest by way of ownership in the aircraft or a share therein, the registration of the aircraft shall thereupon become void and the certificate of registration shall forthwith be returned by the registered owner to the Authority.

(11) Any person who is the registered owner of an aircraft registered in the United Kingdom shall forthwith inform the Authority in writing of:

(a) any change in the particulars which were furnished to the Authority upon application being made for the registration of the aircraft;

(b) the destruction of the aircraft, or its permanent withdrawal from use; or

(c) in the case of an aircraft registered in pursuance of paragraph (5) of this article, the termination of the demise charter.

(12) Any person who becomes the owner of an aircraft registered in the United Kingdom shall within 28 days inform the Authority in writing to that effect.

(13) The Authority may, whenever it appears to it necessary or appropriate to do so for giving effect to this Part of this Order or for bringing up to date or otherwise correcting the particulars entered on the register, amend the register or, if it thinks fit, may cancel the registration of the aircraft, and shall cancel that registration within 2 months of being satisfied that there has been a change in the ownership of the aircraft.

(14) The Secretary of State may, by regulations, adapt or modify the foregoing provisions of this article as he deems necessary or expedient for the purpose of providing for the temporary transfer of aircraft to or from the United Kingdom register, either generally or in relation to a particular case or class of cases.

(15) In this article references to an interest in an aircraft do not include references to an interest in an aircraft to which a person is entitled only by virtue of his membership of a flying club and the reference in paragraph (11) of this article to the registered owner of an aircraft includes in the case of a deceased person, his legal personal representative, and in the case of a body corporate which has been dissolved, its successor.

(16) Nothing in this article shall require the Authority to cancel the registration of an aircraft if in its opinion it would be inexpedient in the public interest to do so.

(17) The registration of an aircraft which is the subject of an undischarged mortgage entered in the Register of Aircraft Mortgages kept by the Authority pursuant to an Order in Council made under section 86 of the Civil Aviation Act 1982(2) shall not become void by virtue of paragraph (10) of this article, nor shall the Authority cancel the registration of such an aircraft pursuant to this article, unless all persons shown in the Register of Aircraft Mortgages as mortgagees of that aircraft have consented to the cancellation.

(1)

1890 c. 39

(2)

1982 c. 16