The Journey to a San Marino Aircraft Operator’s Certificate

By Kerstin Mumenthaler, accountable manager, AXIS Aviation

 

We’re committed to meeting evolving client requirements and streamlining our operations at AXIS Aviation. This has recently included gaining an Aircraft Operator’s Certificate (AOC) in San Marino, enabling us to meet growing demand for business aviation solutions worldwide.

We selected the San Marino registry because it meets international standards of safety, reliability and efficiency, while offering a well-connected location in Central Europe. The move marks our third AOC alongside Austria and Switzerland.

Joining the San Marino registry also provides an opportunity to build on our exciting growth trajectory, offering regulatory compliance, market access and a favourable business landscape.

Obtaining a San Marino AOC required us to undergo several key steps.

The AOC process

The first stage in gaining an AOC is the preparation of key documentation. This includes a comprehensive outline of our organisational structure, safety management systems and other relevant documents in line with San Marino’s regulatory requirements.

With this in place, we were able to submit a formal application to San Marino’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). This outlined the intended scope of our operations and demonstrated our compliance with applicable aviation regulations. Part of this involved reviewing our operation to ensure we matched the standards set by San Marino’s CAA, including safety and operational procedures, as well as aircraft maintenance protocols and crew training requirements.

At this stage, we underwent thorough inspections and audits conducted by the CAA to assess our facilities, personnel, equipment and operational practices to confirm that we had demonstrated compliance with San Marino’s regulatory standards.

Additionally, we were required to ensure all personnel, including flight crew, maintenance technicians and management personnel, met the necessary training and qualification standards outlined by the CAA. On top of this, we needed to demonstrate our operational readiness by conducting test flights, emergency procedure drills and other assessments.

Finally, we committed to remaining compliant with San Marino’s regulatory requirements on an ongoing basis, with regular audits, alongside updates to operational manuals and training programs, a key component of us retaining our AOC.

Placing aircraft on the San Marino registry

Having obtained our AOC, we assembled our team and implemented aviation protocols to place our first aircraft on the San Marino registry, ensuring a seamless introduction of the aircraft into service. We’ve also opened our new office and started expanding our team on the ground, whilst continuing to work closely with the teams in Switzerland and Austria to deliver first-class solutions.

With everything in place, we’re looking forward to realising the benefits of joining the San Marino registry, enabling us to grow our business while meeting new demand from clients globally.