1TIME Airline is back in the news. PAK Africa has now said it plans to launch domestic flights in South Africa, using the brand, by March next year, following PAK Africa’s acquisition of a stake in Global Airways.
Global Airways is a local Johannesburg-based company that is a subsidiary of British Virgin Islands-based Global Aviation. Its main business is aircraft leasing and maintenance operations but it also operates charter flights from its Johannesburg base.
In August, TNW reported that PAK Africa had offered R15 million for 1time Holdings, despite its subsidiaries 1time Airline and Jetworx being liquidated. PAK Africa had also, around the same time, applied for an Air Services Licence (ASL).
Tabassum Qadir, chairperson of PAK African Aviation, says the company is still awaiting approval for the purchase of the holding company. “Our corporate advisers are working on it and we are expecting the results in January.”
Andries Ntjane, deputy director: licensing and permits for the Department of Transport, confirms that Global Airways is licensed to operate scheduled passenger flights but that if PAK Africa plans to operate the flights using this licence, it has to do so as Global Airways.
He adds that if PAK Africa plans to use the 1time brand, it will need to apply to the Air Services Licensing Council for a name change, at which point the Council would have to analyse the ownership to ensure it complied with foreign ownership regulations. He says PAK Africa’s own application for an ASL has expired.
See the full story in TNW, December 18/25.
