GI-2026-12-reg5: Regulations Amending the Canadian Aviation Regulations (Part II)

If you own, operate, or manufacture aircraft in Canada, you will pay significantly higher registration fees starting when this regulation takes effect — for example, registering a new aircraft will cost $450 (up from $110), transferring registration costs $400 (up from $110), reserving a specific tail number jumps to $270 (from $140), and several new fees are introduced including $650 to change a registration mark and $500 for an alternate mark authorization. About 4,744 small aviation businesses are affected, with an average net cost of roughly $360 per business over 10 years, though the government notes these are mostly one-time fees that are minor compared to the overall cost of owning an aircraft. On the positive side, the $65 fee to update your Certificate of Registration is being eliminated to encourage owners to keep their records current, and aircraft exporters no longer need to submit copies of all sale or transfer agreements to Transport Canada. Canadian aircraft manufacturers also gain new flexibility to conduct cross-border test flights into the U.S., which was previously prohibited.