South Africa has been in discussion with Russia’s Nordwind Airlines about launching direct flights between Moscow Sheremetyevo and Johannesburg O.R. Tambo.
However, the airline is subject to US and European sanctions because of Russia’s war on Ukraine; therefore, it cannot legally fly to South Africa under international aviation safety regulations.
Also read: South Africa to play the middle man in the Russia-Ukraine conflict
According to ch-aviation, Mzuvukile Jeff Maqetuka, South Africa’s ambassador to Russia, told the Russian state-owned news agency, Sputnik, that Pretoria was awaiting the airline’s decision.
According to Maqetuka, the goal is to launch four nonstop flights per week, including one to Cape Town, to boost Russian tourism.
“Our transport department discussed Aeroflot flights with the Russian transport ministry, then we were informed that it had been decided that it would be Nordwind,” he told ch-aviation.
Nordwind’s management did not respond to ch-aviation‘s numerous requests for confirmation. After contacting a company employee in Moscow, ch-aviation was informed that flights to South Africa were in the works but provided no further information.
The International Air Services Council of South Africa told ch-aviation that Nordwind had not yet asked for a foreign operator’s permit (FOP).
Oleg Ozerov, Russia’s ambassador-at-large and head of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum, said that direct flights to South Africa would be established before the 2023 Russia-Africa summit, which will be held in St. Petersburg at the end of July. This was reported by both Sputnik and another Russian news agency, TASS.
It remains to be seen how South Africa’s political stance on Russia will affect civil aviation safety rules, as the two countries have maintained close diplomatic relations based on historical ties between the Soviet Union and South Africa’s ruling African National Congress (ANC).
Russia’s Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, met with his South African counterpart, Naledi Pandor, this week in Pretoria to discuss increased bilateral cooperation.
Joint Russian, South African, and Chinese naval exercises are planned for February off South Africa’s east coast, coinciding with the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
In accordance with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) requirements, Nordwind or any other Russian operator will be required to demonstrate to the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) that their aircraft are airworthy and are being maintained in accordance with the most recent service bulletins (SBs) issued by manufacturers – in Nordwind’s case, Airbus and Boeing – and mandatory airworthiness directives (ADs), published in this case by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
As a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the EU and the US have put sanctions on Russia. These sanctions ban the export of aircraft and spare parts to Russian airlines, as well as the provision of technical support, such as updates to air navigation database updates, maintenance data, flight training, and other important safety equipment.
A well-informed source at the regulator told ch-aviation that the ban applies to Nordwind because it doesn’t have access to the latest maintenance updates.
According to ch-aviation, BIS has told companies and people in the US and other countries to “avoid dealing with Nordwind in export and re-export transactions involving items subject to the regulations and in any other activity subject to the regulations.”
However, the BIS stated in December 2022 that Nordwind continued to fly aircraft into Russia in violation of the US export ban, including flights from Egypt’s Hurghada and Sharm el-Sheikh as well as Tajikistan’s Bokhtar.
A Boeing spokesperson confirmed that in early 2022, the company would cease providing parts, maintenance, and technical support to customers and maintenance service providers in Russia in order to comply with US sanctions as well as global laws and regulations.
An EASA spokesperson said the European regulator was “seriously concerned about the safety situation of the western-built fleet in Russia,” and at the time of the invasion of Ukraine, a significant number of western-built aircraft were operating in Russia, many of them owned by Western lessors and registered in Bermuda or Ireland.
The Russian government illegally seized many of those aircraft, prompting ICAO and many contracting states to react.
The EASA had “serious safety concerns about how those aircraft are maintained and how the pilots and engineers are trained” in light of the ban on access to spare parts and maintenance support.
Because of this lack of oversight, the agency suspended all third-country operator (TCO) authorisations granted to Russian operators. The European Commission has placed all Russian operators of Western-built aircraft on its Air Safety List due to safety concerns.
Read more on ch-aviation.
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