A Decade Of The Aircraft Registration Act

On the 22 June 2010, Parliament approved and published the Aircraft Registration Act, which came into force on 1 October 2010. This means that it has already been a decade since a decision was taken and duly actioned to overhaul the aviation laws in Malta in relation to the registration of aircraft and security interests and, more significantly, to implement the Cape Town Convention and its Aircraft Protocol. This anniversary, ironically, coincides with one of the most difficult years for the aviation industry. Nonetheless it seems fitting to analyse the success or otherwise of this Act and, even more significantly, the challenges which lie ahead.

One might easily be tempted to base such an analysis solely on the number of aircraft registered in Malta or the number of operators who hold an Air Operator Certificate issued by Transport Malta. It is undeniable that these registrations have risen gradually over the past few years, and there are many factors which have