After being grounded for four years, Mango Airlines is poised to resume operations in South Africa.
The state-owned low-cost carrier, which ceased flights in July 2021, is in the final stages of securing a deal with a selected investor, potentially paving the way for its return to the skies. According to Business Tech, business rescue practitioner Sipho Sono, a chartered accountant appointed to manage Mango’s restructuring process, confirmed progress is being made this week.
In an interview with IOL on Thursday (5 June), Sono said the transaction is now in its final phases. As part of the process, Mango has begun verifying the value of ‘unflown’ tickets that couldn’t be used after its operations were suspended, and issuing vouchers. Mango released a statement urging affected passengers to log their ticket and voucher information on the airline’s newly launched verification portal, which is available on the airline’s website. This portal opened to the public on 4 June 2025 and will remain active until 1 September 2025. The goal is to accurately account for outstanding liabilities before finalising the deal with the investor.
READ: Aviation: South Africa Airways says subsidiary carrier, Mango Airlines no longer viable
“If the transaction is successful, Mango will issue vouchers to customers that they can use when flights resume,” Sono explained. “However, if the transaction fails, these tickets and vouchers will be treated as creditor claims within the business rescue process, with passengers receiving a partial payout.” Additionally, Mango’s parent company, South African Airways (SAA), has yet to approve the sale of shares agreement submitted in November 2022. Although SAA previously approved Mango’s business rescue plan, it has not signed off on this essential agreement that would facilitate the airline’s sale to a new investor.
On 2 May 2025, Sono’s legal team issued a formal letter to SAA, demanding a response within 14 calendar days. He warned that any further delays could derail Mango’s return and jeopardise the success of the entire rescue process.
