Court overturns FlySafair’s 12-month deadline to fix foreign ownership

FlySafair was granted an urgent court interdict on Tuesday that overrides the January deadline it was given to rectify its ownership structure.

The airline’s foreign ownership was found to be non-compliant when it was revealed that its majority shareholders were an Irish company, ASL Aviation Holding.

The Air Services Licensing Act restricts foreign ownership of domestically registered airlines to 25%.

Airlink and Global Aviation, owner of Lift Airlines, lodged complaints.

RELATED: Air Service Licensing Council ruled that the airline's ownership structure does not comply with current regulations.

While the ruling won’t impact passengers, aviation expert Phutego Mojapele states that the International Air Services Licensing Council has yet to issue its sanctions (separate from the domestic deadline).

"It might be worse than what the domestic body has given them… they might be back to square one," adds Mojapele.

The aviation expert said the rule has always been clear to all airlines operating in the country, including SAA: they cannot be sold to foreign investors with a controlling stake. “FlySafair brought this on themselves,” he added.

To listen to aviation expert Phutego Mojapele in conversation with Jacob Moshokoa (standing in for 702 and CapeTalk’s Africa Melane), click the audio below: