South African Express (EXY, Johannesburg O.R. Tambo) has become the second state-backed South African carrier to withdraw a USD820million Request For Proposal (RFP) tender for thirty narrow body aircraft for use in overhauling its ageing domestic and regional fleet.

BusinessDay reports CEO Inati Ntshanga said the withdrawal had been communicated to all relevant shareholders. "Once we’ve finalised our internal processes, we will return to the market to implement our fleet renewal strategy," he said. He did not however give any explanation for the withdrawal though anonymous sources did point to a lack of funding.

Sister carrier South African Airways (SA, Johannesburg O.R. Tambo) was forced to retract a Request For Proposals (RFP) tender for 23 new long-haul aircraft by South African Minister for Public Enterprises, Malusi Gigaba, on the grounds that the RFP did not comply with the government’s industrialisation plans.

The tender, issued late last year, was worth an estimated ZAR60billion (USD5.8billion).