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FAA Invalidates SACI Trust Registrations, Grounding Hundreds of N-Registered Aircraft

The agency determined the UK firm was not eligible to serve as a U.S. trustee under nationality rules.

Overview

  • Southern Aircraft Consultancy was ordered to surrender affected registration certificates within 21 days, and aircraft registered through its trust were grounded immediately.
  • Owners must re-register with the FAA or another national registry, with FAA applications requiring proof of ownership and proper signatures submitted to the Oklahoma City registry.
  • Upon filing a new U.S. application, operators may receive temporary authority for flights within the United States, but international operations require expedited processing via a Declaration of International Operations.
  • Reported counts vary, with ch-aviation citing 649 aircraft listed under the trust and 641 flagged as invalid, while AeroTime cites 803 registered through SACI.
  • The UK Civil Aviation Authority warned that invalid registration may affect mandatory insurance and advised owners not to fly until they regain compliant status, with legal and financing exposures highlighted for lenders, lessors, and lessees.