EuropeFAA grounds around 800 SACI-registered aircraft after ruling
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Around 800 aircraft registered with the US Federal Aviation Administration under trustee Southern Aircraft Consultancy Inc. (SACI) have been grounded after the agency ruled their registrations are no longer valid.
In a notice issued on Tuesday (14th January), the FAA said all aircraft registration certificates held by SACI are invalid with immediate effect because the company violated US citizenship requirements when it submitted registration applications.
The decision affects a wide range of aircraft, including turboprops, business jets and turbine helicopters, and is expected to cause major disruption for owners and operators in the United States and overseas.
SACI specialises in registering aircraft for US citizens and foreign nationals using trust agreements, a structure often used by non-US owners seeking access to the US 'N' register. The FAA said that to register an aircraft through a trust agreement, the trustee must either be a US citizen or a resident alien.
“SACI registered aircraft for US citizens and foreign nationals using trust agreements,” the FAA said. “To register an aircraft using a trust agreement, the company/trustee must either be a US citizen or a resident alien.” The agency said SACI failed to meet those requirements, meaning the registration certificates issued under its arrangements are no longer valid.
The FAA instructed SACI to surrender all affected registration certificates within 21 days. It said the invalid certificates “will result in the immediate grounding of all aircraft registered to SACI,” meaning owners cannot legally operate their aircraft until they secure new registrations.
To return to service, the FAA said owners must re-register their aircraft either through another country’s aircraft registry or in the US by submitting a new aircraft registration application to the FAA, along with evidence of ownership and the $5 registration fee. Once an application is filed, owners will have temporary authority to operate within the United States until a new certificate is issued or the FAA denies the application.
However, that temporary authority does not apply to flights outside the US, creating additional complications for operators based overseas. The FAA said applicants who operate internationally may submit a Declaration of International Operations at the time of application to request expedited processing.
The grounding is expected to hit general aviation communities across the UK and continental Europe, where N-registered aircraft are common. UK authorities have warned that flying without a valid certificate of registration may also invalidate mandatory aircraft insurance. While the number of UK-based aircraft affected is not yet known, SACI has operated in the sector for more than 20 years and is believed to represent a significant share of the UK’s N-registered fleet.
BlueSky Business Aviation News | 15th January 2026 | Issue #826
