[AMcWhirter]

A tweet by Mango alerted me to this development.

Dear Guests

Mango Airlines apologises for this morning’s flight interruptions and delays.

We are currently working on a solution and will be back at the counters and hope to clear the delays as soon possible.

We apologise in advance for the inconvenience caused.

— Mango Airlines (@FlyMangoSA) April 28, 2021

This budget airline faces financial issues.

Just in: Mango Airlines SUSPENDS ALL FLIGHTS on Wednesday

[cwoodward]

According to Bloomberg (below) it seems that the immediate problems re airport fees has been sorted out short term with a part payment and Mango is back in the air and flying to schedule.
Of course being a government owned airline I suspect that they could fold at any time

ttps://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-04-28/mango-of-south-africa-halts-flights-after-missing-paymentsh

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AMcWhirter

[SimonS1]

There was a suggestion a while back that Safair may be interested in acquiring the business. With the parent company SAA effectively gone, and Nico Bezuidenhout moved to Aurigny that would surely be the best strategic option?

[cwoodward]

I don’t believe that the ANC have a great reputation in business matters as constructive strategic thinkers. More of an opportunistic self enrichment mind-set perhaps ?

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TupeloKid, jjlasne

[LuganoPirate]

It seems Mango still aren’t flying and I fear they won’t come back. Safair always offered a much better service, for example 23kgs of checked baggage which fits better for those flying on with long haul airlines. Unless on a through ticket, you’d always see people at JNB taking 3 kgs out of their checked baggage and putting it into their hand baggage when flying Kulula or Mango. Safair also offered the chance to pay to block the middle seat and a few other enhancements over the other carriers – hence their success.

LIFT has quite a clever business model. They lease their aircraft on a per flight basis, though outside of the big tourist season their service is quite patchy.

The problem is South Africa needs those overseas tourists to fill their aircraft, B&B’s and hotels. People are worried by the so called South African variant of COVID but i’ve been here now for 7 months and life is pretty normal, unlike in Switzerland and certainly, from what i read, till now, the UK.

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cwoodward

[AMcWhirter]

Swiss website CH-Aviation today reports that Mango has entered bankruptcy protection.

https://www.ch-aviation.com/portal/news/106085

[cwoodward]

Not bankruptcy as such but a SA highbred named ‘Business rescue

Reuters reported on Monday that Mango will enter into a local form of bankruptcy protection known as business rescue.
The airline’s acting CEO, William Ndlovu, said in a statement that the reason for the suspension was due to outstanding payments to Air Traffic and Navigation Services (ATNS).
“We can confirm that our services and all flights are temporarily suspended from today, 27 July 2021, until further notice due to outstanding payments to ATNS,” Ndlovu said.
“We plan to resume normal operations as soon as possible. We ask for calm and patience as we navigate these challenges. We will update the public as soon as possible. We apologise in advance for the inconvenience caused.”

Mango Acting CEO,
William Ndlovu

[GivingupBA]

cwoodward posted quotations i.e. “We can confirm that our services and all flights are temporarily suspended from today, 27 July 2021, until further notice due to outstanding payments to ATNS,” Ndlovu said. “We plan to resume normal operations as soon as possible. We ask for calm and patience as we navigate these challenges. We will update the public as soon as possible. We apologise in advance for the inconvenience caused.” (Thank you, c woodward)

Translation and conclusion, from my viewpoint: “Do not buy tickets on Mango”

[cwoodward]

The government have promised SAA R2.5 billion funding once they have put their house in order. Mango is 100% owned by SAA and it seems that Mango is relying on a share of this government funding to pay ATNS and get Mango flying again.
Judging from comments in the SA media it could be a long wait. Some would say ‘good money after bad’ but then again the great and good of the ANC do need that FOC airline to get to their holiday houses and to tend their investments in London and about the world and so probably it will happen and the cycle restart.

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GivingupBA

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