The CAACI exhibit at NBAA 2019

Las Vegas played host to the 72nd annual National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (BACE) tradeshow this year. As the only foreign aircraft register in attendance, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Cayman Islands (CAACI) represented one of the 89 countries exhibiting at the show. The Cayman Islands’ delegation, jointly exhibiting with the CAACI, included Island Air (local FBO operator and ground handler) and the Cayman Enterprise City. The Department of Tourism (DOT) and Maples law firm supplied general destination and legal materials pertinent to this target audience.

“The NBAA 2019 tradeshow is a signature event for the CAACI in the promotion of the Cayman Islands Aircraft Registry and the greater Cayman Islands aviation industry. As the largest business/corporate aviation tradeshow globally which seeks to attract upwards of 25,000 attendees and over 1000 exhibitors over 3 days, it is important that the Cayman Islands Aircraft Registry is represented at such an inspiring, interactive and innovative convention”, remarked the CAACI Director-General Richard Smith’.

In addition to the one million plus square feet of exhibition space, more than 100 aircraft were displayed at a static display of aircraft at the Henderson Executive Airport, and also an indoor display inside the convention center and at various exhibitor booths on the show floor. To review the highlights for this event please visit: https://www.nbaa.org/news/pr/2019/

Each year CAACI extends partnership opportunities with the local business community to offer a prize package for a raffle at NBAA and would like to thank this years’ sponsors: Cayman Airways Ltd, the Grand Caymanian Resort, the Lobster Pot for supporting the grand prize trip giveaway; and also to Rocky’s Diamonds for providing 2 sterling silver ‘Grand Cayman map’ necklaces.

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The Civil Aviation Authority is the statutory body responsible for aviation regulatory (technical/safety and economic) oversight throughout the Cayman Islands and for aircraft registered in the Cayman Islands. The organization is headed by P.H. Richard Smith, the Director-General. The organization is comprised of four regulatory divisions:  the Air Safety Regulation division headed by Director Lindsay Cadenhead; the Air Navigation Services Regulation division headed by Director Alastair Robertson; the Finance & Compliance division headed by Director Jane Panton, and the Economic Regulatory and Administration division headed by Deputy Director-General, Nicoela McCoy.

The CAACI has full designation for safety oversight as a UK Overseas Territory. In addition, the Cayman Islands is classified as Category 1 by the USA Federal Aviation Administration under their “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 appropriate administrative staff to effectively oversee the aviation industry in accordance with established standards and recommended practices of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).