The fee for pilot licence validations has been reduced from £160 to £50 while the annual fee for aircraft surveys in Guernsey has been reduced to a flat fee of £300. That was previously based on weight and time, so could vary although the reduction for the majority of GA owners will be in the region of 50%.
Pictured: The reduced fees will affected owners of small planes registered in Guernsey – including those of a similar size to the Channel Islands Air Search plane.
These changes were decided upon between the Director of Civil Aviation, Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) and other General Aviation stakeholders.
Matt Bisson, Aircraft Registrar, said it will support Channel Island General Aviation.
“Whilst 2-REG continues to enjoy significant success in the larger transitional aircraft market we recognise the importance of a buoyant and productive general aviation sector at home. These fee reductions, facilitated by the Director of Civil Aviation and SGIG (our technical partners in the Aircraft Registry) in consultation with the local GA community, is a great step forward in the support provided by 2-REG.”
John Nicholas, Director of Civil Aviation, said the price cuts will be followed by other changes.
“Following discussions held with the general aviation community, I am delighted to confirm the new fees are now in place. These reduce the costs in various areas and provide more proportionate fees to light aircraft owners in the Channel Islands. I look forward to continued engagement with members of the Aero Clubs, AOPA, owners, and maintenance companies as we further develop the requirements and guidance materials going forward.”
Two key objectives for the Aircraft Registry (2-REG) are for it to operate at zero cost to the States as a minimum, which has been achieved, and to facilitate income for the aviation sector and ultimately the wider Guernsey economy.
Pictured: The 2021 review led to the changes in fees announced today.
A study by The Aviation Working Group, composed of stakeholders from the legal, trust, fiduciary and aviation services firms, estimated the incremental, secondary income attributable to the Aircraft Registry was around £1.4 million in 2019. 2-REG currently has 270 aircraft on the register with a consistently high number of monthly transactions, so it is expected that the economic impact will have increased since that study of several years ago.
Deputy Neil Inder, President of the Committee for Economic Development, said the price cuts are a good sign of the continued growth of the industry.
“Owing to the successful growth in the commercial field, a decision was needed on the way general aviation was managed by the Aircraft Registry. The Committee agreed that local general aviation is an important component of Guernsey’s economy and therefore decided to look at ways of supporting this sector. The Committee is pleased that, together with the appointment of a new Director of Civil Aviation, its decision is delivering positive results and the reduction in fees for locally based aircraft will further enhance growth.”