Three Aviation Companies Under Fire For Us National Security Concerns

The aviation landscape in South Africa has been shaken as three local companies find themselves accused of jeopardising US national security.

Blue Sky Aviation, Wingman Concept, and Ascenso Aviation, based in George, Oudtshoorn, and Mossel Bay, are reportedly under investigation by the United States Department of Commerce due to alleged connections with the Test Flying Academy of South Africa Tfasa.

Tfasa has been thrust into the spotlight, accused of utilising NATO-style techniques to train Chinese military pilots. This serious allegation has resulted in Blue Sky Aviation, Wingman Concept, and Ascenso Aviation being placed on a US export restriction list, a categorisation that includes 70 other entities, predominantly from China and Pakistan.

This blacklist effectively bars these companies from accessing specific imports from the United States, placing their operations in jeopardy.

However, chairperson of Tfasa, Jean Rossouw asserts that only Blue Sky Aviation has ever held a legitimate training licence, and even that company has remained dormant for the past five years.