Owners looking to use aircraft on a commercial (i.e. ‘hire and reward’) basis will need to have the aircraft covered under an Air Operator Certificate (AOC). Such commercial use can include the carriage of fare paying passengers, aerial survey, photography, air ambulance or flight training. In most cases, when considering corporate/private aircraft, commercial use will cover ad-hoc charter operators. The application and establishment of an AOC requires that operator to have sufficient, assets, systems and personnel in place to provide assurance of safe operation.

The majority of offshore registries will not permit commercial use of aircraft except under limited circumstances or in particular countries. However the Guernsey-based Channel Islands Aircraft Register (CIAR) and Malta, a full member state of the EU, have enacted legislation aimed at attracting commercial operators of corporate aircraft to establish AOCs under its jurisdiction. RANA can assist in the application for such operations.