Are SA airlines at risk of losing access to US and EU airspace?

Loading player...
GUEST – Guy Leitch - Aviation Analyst



SOURCE: [BusinessDay News]



SA runs the risk of being denied access to US and EU airspace should it continue contravening laws that govern the investigation of civil aviation accidents.



Such a move would devastate tourism between SA and its key trading partners.

The risk, identified by the department of transport in its draft civil aviation policy, means EU and US airlines could also be barred from entering SA’s airspace, forming a double-edged sword pointed at Africa’s largest economy, which identifies tourism as a key economic growth lever.



This risk, which the department of transport will table before the cabinet, exists because SA has not established an independent body to investigate aviation accidents and incidents as required by annex 13 to the Chicago Convention, which demands accident investigations be conducted independently and impartially.



That task is carried out by the Civil Aviation Authority, which is insufficiently independent of the government, according to the Chicago Convention.
28 May 2PM English South Africa Business News · Investing

Other recent episodes

African air travel is booming — but the airlines themselves aren’t.

GUEST – Phuthego Mojapele – Aviation Analyst Despite passenger numbers rising faster than the global average, African carriers are still trapped in a low-profit, high-cost cycle that threatens the sector’s future. Why is the continent experiencing growth without gain? In this episode, we unpack the paradox with aviation analyst, who…
11 Dec 2PM 10 min

INSIDE YOUR BUSINESS: Anglo-Teck Merger: What SA Stands to Lose.

Guest: Duma Gqubule – Adviser on Economic Development and Transformation As Anglo American pushes ahead with a $60bn merger with Canada’s Teck Resources, South Africa could be on the verge of losing one of its most historic and economically significant mining giants. Duma Gqubule unpacks why the Anglo-Teck deal is…
10 Dec 2PM 15 min