Mango Airlines’ licences have been suspended

Mango Airlines.

Mango Airlines.
Photo: Twitter (FlyMangoSA)

The licenses of low-cost carrier Mango have been suspended by the Air Services Licensing Council.

Since July 28, 2021, Mango has been in voluntary business rescue.

After the sole shareholder SAA chose to sell its stake in the subsidiary, it has been put on hold until an investor can be found.

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 services for an uninterrupted period exceeding 12 months”.

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 given the consortium until August 10 to submit a bank guarantee in Mango’s favour for the entire purchase bid.

Mango said in June that all of its employees had been laid off except for a few employees retained on short-term contracts for critical care and maintenance activities required while the investor process is ongoing.