The Air Services Licensing Council (ASLC) has suspended Mango Airlines’ service license for up to two years but experts think this may increase competition in the sector and lower flight costs.
Aviation analyst Phuthego Mojapele appeared on Cape Talk to discuss the state of airlines following Mango’s grounding. Mango Airlines was forced to halt operations in July 2021 following the business rescue of SAA, of which Mango is a subsidiary.
The suspension is not an outright revocation, said Mojapele, who added that the airline can recover if it proves to the council it has a necessary plan to maintain its routes.
This comes after a bidder provided proof that it has the necessary funding to rescue Mango and its administration. But despite this debacle, Mojapele believes this could be good news for consumers.
‘There’s very much interest in the industry, and very soon we’ll see a change; we’ll see the prices coming down because the competition will be, very much so, on the market.’
Ticket prices skyrocketed after the Comair liquidation, which was responsible for 40% of domestic airline capacity in South Africa.
According to Mojapele there is already an alleged interest in South Africa’s domestic flight space, which could also potentially see a decrease in prices.
ALSO READ: Cape Town Opera provides in-flight entertainment for LIFT flyers
