(Posted 05th February 2025)
The Air Services Licensing Council (ASLC) has published its decision over the disputed ownership of FlySafair and the challenges to its ownership structure by competitors.
The airline, incidentally for many years the most punctual airline in Africa, was given a year to adjust its ownership structure to comply with South African – and general and widely used – ownership requirements.
FlySafair’s dispute with the council stems from the legal requirement that 75% of the voting rights of air services licensees (airlines) must be South African residents and that the licensee must be in effective control of the airline.
In December, the council determined that FlySafair did not meet the 75% requirement.
“In its latest communication, the ASLC has given FlySafair 12 months to align with this interpretation and will require monthly progress reports,” says FlySafair chief marketing officer Kirby Gordon.
The airline is presently evaluating its options based on the council’s ruling. This will include shareholder changes or challenging the ruling through legal channels.
“We will do everything in our power to ensure compliance in these 12 months,” FlySafair’s statement further added before concluding:
“For now, however, the issue remains a regulatory discussion around shareholding rather than an operational concern, and FlySafair reassures customers that all flights will proceed as scheduled.”
