Isle of Man Nears 800th Aircraft in Registry

The Isle of Man’s aircraft registry recently recorded its 797th M-registered aircraft, a Gulfstream G650, newly installed director of civil aviation Simon Williams announced at the Isle of Man Aviation Conference late last month. There are 460 aircraft active in the fleet, Williams reported, adding, “We’ve validated more than 8,000 pilot licenses since we started [on May 1, 2007]."

The Isle of Man established a new Air Navigation Order on May 1, with Williams’s role being to “lobby the UK Department for Transport, which oversees the UK CAA, and get it through the Privy Council review.” This document outlines the aviation legislation applicable to the Isle of Man.

Much of the focus now is on “Annex 6 Part 2 Section 3” of the Chicago Convention (safety management), under ICAO, said Williams. But the Cape Town Convention is also important for the island, and it has made plans to be ready as soon as the UK ratifies the Convention, a move expected by year-end. The Isle of Man is also preparing EASA non-commercial complex (NCC) rules, which extend safety management to more private aircraft operators.