but for larger aircraft it might not be so clear were exactly the "operator" resides
Hope you like sitting in a cell until they do sort out where the operator resides.
I think its another cunning ploy.
If you manage to get round the operator recidence thing they will then say its a AOC flight. And to prove its not an AOC flight it will bring the residency into question.
Alll they need to do is ground the aircraft subject to investigation for 2-3 days every time they land or even once or twice a month and then having your own transport is useless because you could never garantee it would be available when you wanted it.