GARDEN ROUTE NEWS - The situation involving three South African aviation entities accused of threatening US national security is complex and multilayered.
The companies - based in George, Oudtshoorn and Mossel Bay - have come under scrutiny by the United States Department of Commerce for alleged links to the Test Flying Academy of South Africa (Tfasa).
Tfasa is accused of training Chinese military pilots using Nato-style techniques. As a result, Blue Sky Aviation, Wingman Concept and Ascenso Aviation have been placed on a US export restriction list, alongside 70 other entities - mostly in China and Pakistan. This means they can no longer receive certain imports from the US.
However, according to Tfasa's chairperson, Jean Rossouw, of the three listed entities, only Blue Sky Aviation has ever held a valid training licence - and the company has been dormant for at least five years.
"Ascenso Aviation is a specialist company conducting psychological evaluations as part of student selection processes for various regional airlines. Wingman Concept isn't a training institution and has no licences - it mainly offers scenic flights and corporate team-building experiences," says Rossouw.
The Tfasa link
While Tfasa is widely respected in aviation circles, it faces increasing international scrutiny - especially from the Five Eyes intelligence alliance (US, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand).
The key concern is that the training offered may expose Chinese military personnel to Nato-style operational techniques, potentially compromising Western strategic advantage.
Tfasa maintains that it has always ring-fenced sensitive Nato-related content. But Western intelligence agencies remain sceptical.
Interestingly, Rossouw refers to a letter from the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD), dated 29 November 2022, addressed to Tfasa's attorneys. In it, the MoD states: "The MoD has publicly stated we do not believe that Tfasa is engaged in activities which breach current UK law."
According to Rossouw, the US has been trying to undermine Tfasa's business operations since 2013, after the company refused to share client data with American intelligence services. "The CIA even offered US citizenship under a witness protection programme, along with millions of dollars, in exchange for information on our clients. We firmly declined," he claims.
Aviation training for China
Tfasa also points out that it's one of several international companies - including ones in the US, Canada and Europe - that provide pilot training to Chinese clients.
These programmes reportedly follow the same standards, yet only Tfasa and the Avic International Flight Training Academy (Aifa) appear on the sanctions or restricted entities lists.
Rossouw claims that over 70% of Chinese cadet pilots trained abroad received their training in the US, with thousands more trained in Australia and Canada between 2010 and 2021. "The USA alone trained over 14 000 Chinese pilots during that time, with Australia training over 3 000 and Canada more than 3 400 - all from the same pool of students linked to the same Chinese airlines and universities. But only Tfasa and Aifa have been singled out," says Rossouw.
He insists that Tfasa has never deliberately recruited serving Nato military personnel, and that most of their instructors come from civilian contractors such as BAE Systems.
Understanding the restrictions
The export restrictions mean the listed South African companies are no longer allowed to trade in specific US goods or services.
But Rossouw says the situation has been misinterpreted. "Legal advice confirms the sanctions do not indicate guilt - the companies are merely suspected by the US of posing a potential risk to their national interests," he says.
Importantly, none of the listed companies employ US nationals or use American goods or services in their operations. "As South African entities not reliant on US exports, this designation should have no impact on our day-to-day operations. In fact, it's essentially irrelevant," says Rossouw.
According to Tfasa, nearly 70% of Chinese pilot cadets trained internationally are trained in the United States. The graphic was supplied by Tfasa and was published in China Daily in May 2017.
According to Rossouw, the USA, Australia and Canada trained thousands of Chinese pilots during 2010 to 2021, but only Tfasa and Aifa have been singled out.‘We bring you the latest Garden Route, Hessequa, Karoo news’
