Nigeria and San Marino Forge Aircraft Registry Accord

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has signed an agreement with the Civil Aviation Authority of San Marino (SM-CAA) that allows aircraft registered in San Marino to be operated for commercial purposes by an operator with a Nigerian air operator’s certificate (AOC). The arrangement is structured under the International Civil Aviation Organization’s Article 83 bis agreement, which allows two states to share regulatory oversight responsibilities for aircraft.

Most Nigerian-owned business aircraft are registered overseas to meet the requirements of banks and insurance companies. In the past, the absence of NCAA rules specifically governing business aviation has made it hard for these aircraft to be operated under Nigerian AOCs.

San Marino is a microstate entirely surrounded by Italy, but not part of the European Union. It markets its aircraft registry as a convenient jurisdiction that is compliant with ICAO.