Goodbye transparency - hello discretion in the sky

Anyone who wants to know who owns a private jet could soon be looking into the void. The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is now making it possible to remove the owners of aircraft from the public register - on request. This means that the names behind the shiny jets in the sky will become invisible to the public. A move that is likely to please the super-rich such as Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg in particular - and make data protectionists sit up and take notice.

Protecting the rich - or a deliberate cover-up?

Officially, it's about data protection. Unofficially, however, many of those affected are probably more concerned with discretion. Elon Musk, for example - a self-proclaimed advocate of freedom of expression - doesn't like it at all when people can see where his jet is landing on the internet. He had the corresponding tracking accounts on his platform X blocked without further ado. Meta is also following this course and removing content that documents celebrity flight movements.

The new FAA model now fulfills a long-standing wish: anyone who wants to can request that their name no longer appear in the register. The FAA is even considering making this anonymization a rule in the near future.

Loopholes have existed for a long time

However, the names of the super-rich were hardly ever on the register before. Their jets often run through corporate structures, trusts or specialized service providers - often based in Utah. The reason? Tax advantages and easy entry in the US register, even if the true owner is from abroad. In the case of Elon Musk, for example, the company in charge is an LLC called Falcon Landing based in California.

But even though the company name has now disappeared from the register, the trail does not necessarily remain cold. The license plates of the jets are still visible to the public - and quickly identified in insider circles. As a countermeasure, owners could change their license plates regularly in future - like changing a car license plate, only in the air.

Security issues remain unresolved

The changeover will probably not be completely smooth. After all, what happens if maintenance staff, security authorities or airports no longer know who actually owns an aircraft? These are precisely the questions that the FAA is currently investigating together with the aviation industry. The concern: concealed ownership could reduce the level of safety or make it more difficult to enforce the law.

Incidentally, the legal mandate for the measure comes from the US Congress itself - a signal that there is political will behind the new lack of transparency.

Sky of the rich - soon in camouflage?

The FAA's decision marks a clear turnaround: Away from public control, towards more privacy for jet owners. This may please data protectionists, but it also prompts critics to call for transparency and equal treatment. After all, those who fly often have influence - and influence should remain visible.