NERVOUSNESS among international aircraft lessors about political stability in Southern Africa is said to be the latest stumbling block delaying the launch of Redair, a planned new international low-cost airline based in Cape Town.

This is after Redair’s attempts to obtain an Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC) from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) ran into snags earlier this year when red tape required the start-up to change its aircraft acquisition plans. A frustrated Andy Cluver, ceo of Redair and charter company Civair, says it has become impossible to launch a new international airline in South Africa, eliminating prospects of increased competition and meaning all under-utilised/unused international routes will not be flown unless South African Airways decides to do so. Cluver says he has informed the CAA and the Department of Transport of his situation but claims little is being done to assist him and that authorities are “hiding behind legislation”. He says a new inclusion in the Civil Aviation Regulations – known as Part 48, which has been promulgated but is not yet operative – is forcing him to dry-lease rather than wet-lease an aircraft to obtain an AOC. However, he claims, international leasing companies are unwilling to dry-lease aircraft in South Africa because they are nervous about political instability in the region, particularly around Zimbabwe. Dry-leasing means an aircraft is leased without crew and the lessee has legal possession of the plane, which is placed on the South African register. Cluver says suitable aircraft (B767 or A330) cost from US$30m (R309m) to lease-purchase. “We contacted more than 50 owners/leasing companies and not one agreed to dry-lease to us in South Africa. Would you allow your $30m aircraft to be flown in Africa and have no control over it?” He found companies willing to wet-lease on a trial period of six months and then convert to a dry-lease, but says the CAA will not accept this. Cluver claims the CAA initially gave Redair a written exemption from Part 48, but then took it away. He also questions why he is being forced to comply with Part 48 if it is not yet operative. The CAA’s executive legal manager, Ntheri Magoai, earlier said Part 48 was gazetted and promulgated on July 13, 2007, but would only become operative once the Civil Aviation Technical Standards (CATS) were in place. These were to be promulgated before the end of the year.