NAFA member Greenberg Traurig shares the latest aviation alert regarding the FAA.
On Jan. 13, 2026, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) notified Southern Aircraft Consultancy Inc. (SACI) that the agency has rendered all aircraft registration certificates issued in the company’s name invalid and has notified the company that it must surrender them within 21 days. The FAA determined that SACI violated U.S. citizenship requirements when submitting registration applications for aircraft held in trust. This FAA determination grounds the affected aircraft, and they should not be operated until proper registration is confirmed.
Takeaways
Entities with aircraft registered through SACI may wish to take immediate action to avoid unauthorized operations. To register an aircraft on the U.S. Civil Aircraft Registry, the following requirements apply under 14 CFR Part 47.
Eligible Owners
- U.S. citizens or resident aliens (individuals);
- U.S. corporations or associations meeting control and voting interest requirements (president and two-thirds of board and other managing officers must be U.S. citizens; at least 75% voting interest must be U.S.-held); or
- Non-U.S. owners may use a trust, provided the trustee is a U.S. citizen or resident alien.
Required Documentation
Impacted parties must submit all required documentation to the FAA’s civil aircraft registry, located in Oklahoma City. Documents filed with the FAA for the purpose of registration must have either a blue-ink original signature or be properly signed using a valid electronic signature method.
This article was originally published by Greenberg Traurig on January 13, 2026.