THE Channel Islands’ dedicated search aircraft has been grounded following a decision by US aviation regulators to invalidate the registrations of hundreds of aircraft worldwide.
The Channel Islands Air Search plane has been forced out of service after the United States Federal Aviation Administration ruled that the registration company handling its paperwork was found to be operating unlawfully under US citizenship rules.
Southern Aircraft Consultancy Inc was ordered to surrender all aircraft registration certificates it had issued as a result.
The ruling has resulted in the immediate grounding of every aircraft registered through the company, which includes the Channel Islands Air Search aircraft.
A spokesperson from the voluntary organisation confirmed it had initiated the process to transfer registration to an alternative provider.
“This work is underway and we will do everything possible to resume operations as quickly as we can; however, completion is dependent on response times from third parties and the FAA, and therefore a confirmed timeline is not yet available,” the Channel Islands Air Search statement said.
“In the meantime, the Guernsey and Jersey Coastguards, relevant authorities, and emergency services have been formally notified that our services are temporarily unavailable, and all other usual arrangements for search and rescue coordination across the Channel Islands remain in place.
“We recognise the vital role Channel Islands Air Search plays within the community and want to reassure the public that we are working as quickly as possible within regulatory processes to return the aircraft to operational service.”
