South Africa Issues Flight Permit to US-Sanctioned Russian Company

South Africa recently issued a flight permit to a Russian aircraft operator that had been sanctioned by the United States. The South African government claimed it was unaware of the US sanctions against the company at the time of granting the permit. The sanctioned company, Abakan Air, had been blacklisted by the US in the past for its involvement in transporting Russian military equipment. The revelation that South Africa provided permission for Abakan Air to operate raised concerns and questions about oversight and due diligence procedures. Support for stricter monitoring of international aviation activities has emerged in light of this incident.