A new Irish aircraft register targeted at corporate and business jets was unveiled as the European Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition (Ebace) got under way in Geneva, Switzerland, today. 

The “EJ” register is administered by the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA), with Shannon Airport’s International Aviation Services Centre (IASC) as a preferred marketing and support partner.

The new register offers the benefits of a gold-standard onshore European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) jurisdiction and is designed for full compliance with current and forthcoming EASA regulations including Part NCC (Non-Commercial Complex).

The new registration marks consist of EJ- plus four letters, allowing for a wider range of personalised registrations.

Working with industry-leading tax and legal partners, Shannon Airport’s International Aviation Services Centre (IASC) offers a cost-effective one-stop shop for aircraft owners, operators and financiers seeking to benefit from the advantages of the EJ register. 

Shannon, with its tax-efficient free zone, is designated by the Irish government as the national centre of excellence for corporate and business aviation and is already a major transit stop for corporate aircraft and the only airport outside the Americas offering US CBP preclearance to corporate aircraft passengers. 

“Ireland already has a worldwide reputation as a leading air-finance jurisdiction, and the Irish Aviation Authority is a world-leading regulator. The EJ register combines these strengths for the corporate aviation space and delivers an onshore EASA register which is guaranteed fully compliant with Part NCC. It’s truly the new gold standard,” says Patrick Edmond, Managing Director of IASC at Shannon. “And with our best-in-class partners, Shannon is the obvious choice for ensuring fast and tax-efficient EJ registration.” 

The EJ register draws on Ireland’s superb reputation in aviation regulation and air finance, and IASC at Shannon is ideally qualified to provide a seamless support service to ensure the EJ register’s success,” said Tony Merrigan, Head of Customer Relations at the Irish Aviation Authority. 

"Ireland has an enormous amount to offer to corporate aviation from a taxation, legal, financial and regulatory perspective. I believe EJ will rapidly take prime position alongside the popular registers. The IAA is a world-class regulator and I'm delighted to team with Shannon to make it a success," says Aoife O'Sullivan, Head of the Aviation Finance practice at Kennedys.

The IASC is a strategic business unit within Shannon Group, tasked with further developing the well-established aviation cluster at Shannon. IASC helps existing aerospace firms located here develop their business, as well as working alongside IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland as they work to bring new companies to Shannon.  

Today, over 45 aerospace firms are established in and around Shannon, employing approximately 1,600 staff. IASC’s ambition and mandate is to develop this activity further, creating a globally recognised aviation industry cluster at Shannon with specialisations in areas such as leasing, maintenance, aircraft recycling, business aviation and component manufacture and repair. 

IASC is dedicated to growing the aerospace cluster at Shannon. In doing so it hopes to play its part in developing Ireland’s aerospace capabilities and helping to ensure that the country remains a global centre for the aviation industry.

IASC is showcasing the new EJ register at Ebace, which runs until May 21 at the Palexpo centre, at Stand Z046.