What Is Aircraft Registration? Definition & Meaning in Aviation
An aircraft registration is the unique code, like a car’s number plate, painted on an aircraft to show which country it is registered in.
In plain language
It begins with a nationality prefix. Pakistani aircraft use AP-, followed by letters. The registration can change if an aircraft moves to another country.
Example
A Pakistani airliner might be registered AP-XXX; the AP- shows the aircraft is on Pakistan’s register.
Why it matters
The registration identifies a specific aircraft, like a number plate. Spotters and databases use it to follow an individual aircraft’s history, and it tells you which country’s register the aircraft is on.