The civil aviation authority team at its booth at NBAA-BACE. From left, Richard Smith – Director-General; Capt. Mark Dixon – Director Air Safety Regulation; Anne-Marie Stephens – Marketing & Communications Officer; Joni Wood – Director Finance & Compliance, Robert Harris – Air Navigation Services Regulatory Inspector; and Nicoela McCoy – Deputy Director-General, Economic Regulation & Administration.
The Civil Aviation Authority of the Cayman Islands (CAACI) exhibited at the annual National Business Aviation Association – Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (NBAA-BACE) tradeshow held at the Las Vegas Convention Centre from 22 to 24 Oct 2024.
The main objective was to promote the Cayman Islands Aircraft Registry (CIAR) as the offshore registry of choice for discerning owners and operators. As the only foreign aircraft register that exhibited, the authority was one of more than 800 exhibitors.
At the tradeshow, the civil aviation authority provided general information to visitors of the booth on the requirements to operate in the jurisdiction. The authority also shared information with visitors on its strategic partnership with Cayman Enterprise City (CEC) which provides key elements required for the jurisdictional establishment for operators engaged in commercial air transport operations offshore.
CAACI and CEC are jointly marketing the Cayman Islands to the aviation industry, promoting its robust regulatory environment, neutral tax status, sound legal and finance systems and first- world lifestyle, touting it as the perfect domicile to establish an air transport or any aviation related company.
Clients that qualify are aircraft owners and brokers, technology companies and start-ups engaged in aviation research and development, the head offices of aviation industry businesses, aircraft manufacturing and repair businesses, and businesses that provide management consultancy and other specialized services to the aviation industry.
Each year the civil aviation authority extends partnership opportunities with the local business community to offer a prize package for a raffle at NBAA-BACE and thanked this years’ sponsors: Cayman Airways Ltd, Tortuga Rum Company, Kirk Freeport, Sunshine Suites Resort, Cayman Spirits Co. Ragazzi, 3 Girls & A Kiln for supporting the grand prize trip to the Cayman Islands giveaway.
The authority has full designation for safety oversight as a UK overseas territory and is one of only three territories to enjoy such delegation. It is responsible for both safety and economic regulation of the Cayman aviation industry.
In addition, the Cayman Islands is classified as Category 1 by the USA Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) under the “International Aviation Safety Assessments” programme that evaluates a country’s civil aviation authority’s ability to effectively regulate its aviation industry. This rating enables commercial air transport operators registered in Cayman to conduct international air transport operations, i.e, Cayman Airways, Ltd.
The requirement for such rating lies with the CAACI being assessed as having technically qualified and highly experienced staff to effectively oversee the aviation industry in accordance with established standards and recommended practices of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).
