Following a review of the Jersey Aircraft Registry (JAR), the States of Jersey Minister for Economic Development, Tourism, Sport and Culture, deputy Kirsten Morel has concluded that it should cease to operate in its current form.

The sole aircraft that remained registered on the JAR has been transferred to another jurisdiction's register and the UK Department for Transport (DfT) has been informed of the closure. The decision has no impact on commercial flight connections and will not affect private pilots.

Deputy Morel says: “My decision has been based on JAR's commercial underperformance, which does not represent value for Jersey taxpayers, and because additional investment would be needed to enhance its regulatory compliance, if it were to continue. I am grateful to those clients who have supported the registry during its operation and would underline that this decision will have no impact on Jersey's numerous and diverse flight connections and services.”

The registry was first launched in November 2015. Operational control was passed to Ports of Jersey in 2018, who re-launched the registry in May 2020 with aviation software company TrustFlight, with plans to grow it internationally and develop digital aircraft records and processes. During the entire past seven years, a total of four aircraft have been registered and, during the course of 2022, the number fell from three to one. In addition, a review highlighted that significant additional resources would be needed for the registry to meet international regulatory requirements.

Deputy Morel continues: “Jersey's regulatory compliance requirements would be the same whether one or 1,000 aircraft were registered, and closing the JAR removes the need for those resources. It is important to note that these resource needs relate only to the aircraft registry; the wider picture on Jersey's aviation regulatory landscape, for example air traffic services and aerodromes, is exemplary.

“Aviation and connectivity will continue to be of fundamental importance to Jersey's community, and I would support opportunities for the sector to develop in a way that benefits Jersey's economy. I have committed to supporting a high performing, environmentally sustainable and technologically advanced economy that has robust transport and digital connectivity. As with all other sectors, the Government's approach to aviation will be driven by these principles.

“Officers are preparing a new aviation strategy for Jersey and, within the scope of this work and as one of several aviation initiatives, they will investigate how Jersey can benefit from registry-related activity in the future. They will identify the reasons for the JAR's underperformance and any decisions on future registry-related activity will be mindful of those reasons to ensure that we learn from our experiences of operating the JAR to date.

“Any Government decisions in this area will only be guided by the firmest evidenced-based opportunities and commercial strategies and where Jersey can gain a position of global leadership in the fields of new aviation technologies and the advance towards zero-carbon flight.”