Mango Airlines: Low-cost carrier set for return?

Budget carrier Mango Airlines has been absent from the South African skies since early 2020.

This was when all airlines in the country were grounded due to lockdown restrictions.

These were imposed to mitigate the spread of Covid-19.

MANGO AIRLINES

The airline is a state-owned budget carrier. It operated as a subsidiary of South Africa’s national carrier, South African Airways.

Mango operated low-cost flights to several destinations within South Africa. It also offered flights to the island of Zanzibar.

Mango’s hub was Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International Airport. The carrier operated a fleet of Boeing 737-800 aircraft.

EXTENDED BUSINESS RESCUE

Like South African Airways, Mango Airlines was also placed into a form of bankruptcy protection called business rescue, in July 2021.

Prolonged dealings and obstacles resulted in Mango not being able to be sold to potential new owners. Even though there reportedly are interested buyers.   

SALE OF BUDGET AIRLINE

The Citizen reports that the sale of Mango Airlines can now proceed.

This comes as a result of The Supreme Court of Appeal yesterday rejecting Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan’s attempt to block the sale of the airline.

Mango’s business rescue practitioner, Sipho Sono, said he was pleased with the outcome.

Sono said he was disappointed that the process had taken so long, given the fact that South African Airways was intent on selling Mango Airlines from the outset.

A RETURN TO THE SKIES?

Should the sale of Mango Airlines proceed in the near future, South Africans might once again see the familiar airline in the sky.

However, it would be operating under new ownership.

This would add an extra carrier to South Africa’s aviation landscape, which is already facing headwinds due to the economic conditions in the country.

The new owners would have to reapply for a new air service license since Mango’s license was suspended in August 2022.