Decades of excellence in service – interview with Sir Jorge Colindres Marinakis

An industry leader with over thirty years of varied aviation expertise, from aircraft sales and acquisitions to aircraft certification and regulation. Two more things to say, The Registry of Aruba and The Registry of San Marino, and I guess you will immediately know whom we are talking about. Sir Jorge Colindres Marinakis. 
Combined, the Registry of Aruba and the San Marino Aircraft Registry’s list of clientele includes several Heads of State, members of Royal Families and high-profile customers around the world. Mr. Colindres takes pride in both the unique relationship that he maintains with his clientele and in his pristine reputation throughout the aviation industry. 50skyshades had the pleasure to discuss with Sir Jorge Colindres Marinakis during EBACE 2024, here is the essential of our exchange:

T.O. An obvious question - we are meeting Aruba Registry again at EBACE. This time you are inside with an amazing booth! First impressions from first hours of EBACE 2024? 

J.C.M. Well first of all, thank you for coming to see us. We are delighted to have you here, both of you, and it's an honor for us to be participated in this interview with you. Honestly, I think EBACE has been happy surprise for everybody I think everybody thought that EBACE was going to be slower venue this year, but I found it even busier than last year, despite of the activists, that really destroy a little bit of our momentum. And maybe because of that we lost the connection. But I think now things seem more organized, more streamlined, people are in a better mood, we understand more what's going on now with this culture, which, in the way is a learning curve, because even though they came to disrupt the momentum, this is the new world. 

T.O. We have to learn from everything what's happening. 

J.C.M. I agree with you, and I think we need to get the positive of the action, not the negative, and see that they may have a point. 

T.O. They may have a point, but I know that you are working hard and you're doing really a lot for sustainability. My question, I see a lot of guys, this year, we are not using this term that much. We are talking about effectiveness. What is your point? How the real effectiveness in everyday life, in everyday operation, could bring us to this sustainable aviation goal? 

J.C.M. I think, honestly as the old guard edges, it's up to a new generation really carry through with their dreams in making the world a better place for future generations. Having said that, it needs to start from us. If you look at Aruba booth, if you look at San Marino, especially the Aruba booths, now, it's 67% sustainable materials. Starting from the colors, the colors are inviting, they’re sand, they're relaxed. And I think that's the world it is for us. You have so many beautiful things, and that's what we try to demonstrate with having a boot with sub colors. And if you look at everything, basically is recyclable. There are only a few things that are not. So, we were measuring with our contractor, how much do you think it is recyclable or reusable? And it's just between 60 and 67%. That would be more sure than 67%. So, for us, the big thing, because we, as a group of companies among the registry that we know we are the only company that have a sustainable program, actually. We have a sustainable newspaper. Yes. Which my daughter Alexandria started, you know, a few years back… 

T.O. Two years ago. Yeah. And I'm reading it.

J.C.M. We carry on with it because I think it's a fantastic thing. If something is good, why destroy it, improve it! A lot of people should think like that, but unfortunately, sometimes, as you say there are events disrupting the good path to something new and then we must restart again. 

T.O. You are almost 30 years in business. More. The Registry if I'm not mistaken. It's 29 this year.

J.C.M. Aruba is going to be 30 next year. next year it's going to be a big party. 

T.O. You know, the industry from very, very long time and saw it changing. Do you see young people coming to the industry and how they are different if you compared to back then, you know? 

J.C.M. Yes, but what I see now, younger people are they want to be comfortable, they don't want to take risks. And I think life is about challenges. We need to have a challenge in life. Whether the challenges go to a different level for everybody. Of course, everybody has their threshold, but I think we need challenges. And I see young generation being very comfortable. In my own opinion. I think they; they can do much better than us and they should. Did they stop dreaming? You know, honestly, I would think so. You know, I think they stopped dreaming because I remember in my days there was not much social media, there's not much TV radio, newspapers. Everything was about imagination. You would create things in your mind. You would make it happen. 

T.O. Yes, but for that you must be back to square one. When young people, young kids could come to the airport to local aircraft club to see an aircraft, to have a look at what jobs you can have in aviation sector. And this is the point, a for a dream and a dedication to a career in aviation, because there are a lot of options. And I think especially in business aviation, maybe we don't talk enough about the variety of careers in business aviation you can have. It doesn't matter... Its not only pilots or flight attendants…

J.C.M. I think also we have too many restrictive rules because of different events in the world. And I remember when I was young, you could just park along the airport and look at the planes flying. Yeah. I say, wow, look at this now. I mean, no, you cannot do this. It's security. I mean, so that takes a lot of dreams and emotions from young kids and parents. In a way, it's our fault. We don't dedicate the time that we should to our kids and help them to think because we are running also doing our own thing. But I think that if we pause a little bit, especially... I'm trying to do this with my grandkids. I have two grandkids and there's one third coming from my other son. For them to dream, for them to think what you can do with your mind. Don't think what you can do only with your hands. 

T.O. It means taking a little moment, even a minute, and use this time for something creative. I still know some airports where passengers have the view of all airplanes coming and going And I think this is a point, I've seen little kids, they are seeing this airplane, they will take to go on vacation or move somewhere. And this is where it starts…

J.C.M. I agree. But, you know, going back to my companies of Registries, Aruba was a dream. 

T.O. So you realized your dream. 

J.C.M. Yeah, Aruba was a dream. It was a dream that came from when I was in the Navy, from my maritime days, and somebody gave me an opportunity and I say, you know, why not? Let's do it. And then we had San Marino. San Marino was a dream. I was looking for another country, and in the back office I had a big warm up and I said, wherever my eyes, wherever I close my eyes, and I said, wherever my finger lands, that's where I'm going. 

T.O. What’s the next step? Will you do it again? 

J.C.M. Of course. I will do it again and again. 

T.O. There are serial dreamers! 

J.C.M. Yes, actually, we signed last year with the UK with Her Majesty, the government of Gibraltar, a 20-year exclusive agreement to manage and develop the Gibraltar aircraft registry. So that's our third dream. Okay. So next year we will celebrate 30 years of Aruba Registry and the first launch of Gibraltar aircraft registry. So, you have to be sure to be there for celebration. 

T.O. Absolutely. Thank you very much. And, you know, I am following everything you're doing, social media and so on, I think you have a very positive impact on the industry. Thank you. And you are so welcoming and so inspiring of dreaming and doing things!

J.C.M. So thank you very much for that. It's been a pleasure. It's been an honor. Thank you very much. Thank you for coming!