FlySafair wants minister to intervene in ownership crisis

FlySafair has urgently called on Barbara Creecy, South Africa's transport minister, to intervene in regulatory proceedings that have found the airline falling foul of the country's foreign ownership restrictions. The airline argues that civil aviation regulators' interpretation of the law is flawed and, if applied, would render nearly every airline in the country non-compliant, potentially resulting in widespread suspensions and "catastrophic" economic repercussions. The budget airline faces a potential suspension or cancellation of its domestic and international operating licences. With a domestic market share of 60%, it argues this would destabilise the local aviation market, threaten the livelihoods of its 1,925 employees with job losses extending to other industries, and result in significant damage to the South African economy and tourism industry. FlySafair is facing two challenges to its ownership structure before the country's domestic and international licensing councils, following separate complaints from competitors Global Aviation Operations (which operates Lift Airlines) and Airlink (South Africa). On October 31, the International Air Services Licencing Council found FlySafair to be non-compliant, but the airline won a court interdict which requires the regulator to meet with it on January 20 before imposing punitive action.<br/>