Avcorp Registrations, the US registration for Europeans specialist, has recorded strong first quarter results, since starting up at the end of April. Company director, Peter Leventhal, told EBAN: “Things have been going fantastically well over our first three months. We now have almost seventy aircraft on our books and many of the main intermediaries now use us, including Air and General Finance and Lombard. Cessna Citation also recommends us.”

Leventhal explained exactly how the Gloucestershire Airport-based company operates: “I set up the ownership companies so that people can legally own aircraft on the US register. In Europe now, a number of people are opting to fly on the US register rather than the European register. The main reason is that many have US instrument ratings and they can’t legally use these on a European-registered aircraft. This factor probably accounts for 85 per cent of the clients we have.”

For the Avcorp founder’ it is his second time around in this niche market. “When I started 12 years ago I was the first person offering this service. I started Anglo Trust, which was my baby and finally sold it three and a half years ago. The reason why I’ve returned to the market is because so many clients wanted me to come back and do this again. And since its launch, Avcorp’s business has proved very brisk,” said Leventhal.

Over a decade ago there were only a few jets which were US registered aircraft, but owned by European companies. Now Avcorp’s clients range from owners of light aircraft through to executive jets. “If you go to any airfield, there are a number of aircraft which are now US-registered, but there aren’t many companies providing this service. When I originally started, it wasn’t long before a German company called Aircraft Guarantee were doing a similar thing. The two biggest markets for this service are Britain and Germany, but since then there really hasn’t been too much other competition. I get on very well with the people from Anglo Trust and obviously there’s a competitive element between us, but that’s the way of the world,” he said.

Leventhal explained that not everyone is able to put their aircraft on the US register. “If an operator wants to wet lease their aircraft or have an AOC, it has to be registered where it's based. It's private operators and people who are happy to dry lease their aircraft who are able to utilise us and within this market, we've proved incredibly popular," he added.