The Maltese Aircraft Registry is one of the most reputable and this is important because irrespectively of who owns the aircraft or the routes that it flies, such aircraft must always comply with the standards and regulations of the register it is registered on. The Maltese Aircraft Register does in fact hold its operators to some of the highest levels of regulation in the world since it falls under the jurisdiction of the European Safety Agency (EASA), thereby offering aircraft owners peace of mind with its International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) rating.
Apart from competitive aviation registration costs and competitive costs for obtaining anAir Operator Certificate (AOC) and Air Operator Licence (AOL), Malta also offers numerous benefits for the registration of aircraft on its register, which benefits derive from favourable corporate structures and a proper understanding of the aviation sector. These incentive include –
- The recognition of fractional ownership in aircraft;
- The registration of aircraft temporarily not being operated or managed;
- The registration of aircraft under construction;
- Attractive direct and indirect aviation tax opportunities for the leasing of aircraft, including tax depreciation and partial shareholder tax refunds;
- No withholding tax on lease payments where the lessor is not a tax resident of Malta;
- Competitive tax depreciation rates for aviation purposes, and partial shareholder tax refunds;
- An extensive Maltese tax treaty network with over 70 jurisdictions,including the United States.
Malta is also a signatory to the Cape Town Convention on International Interests in Mobile Equipment and its Aircraft Protocol, which is essentially a mechanism to set international standards for leases, security interests, and registration of contracts, thereby offering creditors a higher degree of protection and more effective remedies, while, at the same time, allowing lower borrowing costs.
Malta is an economically and politically stable country, enjoying full European Union membership and having English as one of its national languages.
For further information please visit https://www.emd.com.mt/advocates/aircraft-registration/ or email legal@emd.com.mt.
EMD assists clients with the setting up of the necessary structures, tax advice, the obtaining and Air Operator Certificate (AOC) and an Air Operator Licence (AOL), as well as with the registration of aircraft and the registration or the cancellation of any liens in the Malta Aircraft Register.
