South African Airways Executive Charged with Industrial Espionage and Data Theft

Carla da Silva, the head of sales and marketing at South African Airways (SAA), along with several subordinate staff members, is under investigation by South Africa’s specialized police unit, the Hawks, for alleged industrial espionage and data theft. These charges relate to her previous employment at Airlink, as reported by The Citizen newspaper.

An Airlink spokesperson confirmed that a criminal complaint was lodged against Da Silva under the Cybercrimes Act for “theft of incorporeal property.” This action follows the filing of an urgent interdict by Airlink against Da Silva, SAA, and ten other former Airlink employees now with SAA. In response, the High Court mandated on April 16 that SAA must “delete, destroy, and not use” any confidential commercial information Da Silva brought from Airlink.

The core of the allegations centers around Da Silva’s actions before her transition to SAA, where she is accused of copying a critical database. Airlink’s CEO and Managing Director Rodger Foster revealed that further evidence has emerged, suggesting additional breaches of confidentiality.

Foster also noted that the alleged data breach had been reported to various industry bodies and regulators, including the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the affected travel agents, and the Information Regulator of South Africa, signaling the severity of the situation.

Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, bing.com, ch-aviation.com