The Air Services Licensing Council has suspended low-cost carrier Mango’s licences. The airline has been on business rescue since 28 July 2021.
In a letter dated August 3, the council suspended Mango’s Licences “for a period of two years, effective immediately, as Mango has not operated the licensed air service s for an uninterrupted period exceeding 12 months”. The licenses were suspended with immediate effect for a period of two years in terms of the Air Services Licensing Act.
The announcement comes shortly after Sipho Sono, the administrator of the airline claimed that an unnamed consortium fighting to save Mango, had provided “adequate and satisfactory proof of funding”.
CH Aviation reported that the consortium had been given until 10 August to provide a bank guarantee in favour o Mango for the full purchase. If the proposed condition is met, a proposal would be presented to the South African Airways (SAA), the government and Mango’s parents’ company.
If the deal fails and a reserve bidder does not step in, the airline will be liquidated. In June Mango said all its employees had been retrenched except for few employees retained on short-term contracts for critical care and maintenance activities which is required while the investor process goes on.
The council has also suspended two air service licenses of Comair with immediate effect for a period of two years. Comair operated its own low-cost airline kulula.com as well as domestic and regional British airways flights under the licence agreement. Comair was place under provisional liquidation.
Source: Sowetan Live, News24, Business Day, Fin24, image from Twitter