Last year, it emerged that a South African flight academy was embroiled in a saga involving an arrested former US Marine and the UK issuing a treason-type warning that ex-military pilots should not provide training to China. Now, the US has acted against the academy.

The United States believes a South African flight academy, which is caught up in a global skirmish involving defence services and the People's Republic of China (PRC), is acting against its national security interests and has placed trade restrictions on it.

It emerged this week that the US added the Test Flying Academy of South Africa (TFASA), based in the Western Cape town of Oudtshoorn and operational worldwide, to its Entity List.

'Against US national security'

The list "identifies entities for which there is reasonable cause to believe, based on specific and articulable facts, that the entities have been involved, are involved, or pose a significant risk of being or becoming involved in activities contrary to the national security or foreign policy interests of the United States".

According to a US government document dated Wednesday, 14 June 2023, TFASA and several other companies were added to the list that came into effect on Monday, 12 June.

The document states: "These entities have been determined by the US Government to be acting contrary to the national security or foreign policy interests of the United States."

TFASA issued a statement on its website about the action by the US.

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