Mango (airline)

Defunct low-cost airline of South Africa (2006–2021)

For the type of fruit, see Mango.

Mango Airlines

| IATA | ICAO | Call sign

|
|

JE  | MNO  | TULCA
Founded| 30 October 2006 (2006-10-30)
Ceased operations| July 2021 (operations)
August 2022 (license suspended)[citation needed]
Hubs| O. R. Tambo International Airport
Focus cities| Cape Town International Airport
Frequent-flyer program| Voyager
Fleet size| 2
Destinations| 8
Parent company| South African Airways
Headquarters| Kempton Park, Gauteng, South Africa
Key people| William Ndlovu CEO
Employees| ±750
Website| www.flymango.com

Mango Airlines SOC Ltd, trading as Mango, was a South African low-cost airline based at O. R. Tambo International Airport,[1] and a subsidiary of South African Airways. Since July 2021, the airline had been grounded, as funding for its business rescue was subject to a dispute.[2] However in August 2022, its license was suspended altogether.

## History

[edit]

Mango was launched on 30 October 2006, with bookings going on sale at midnight on the same date. Mango's first flight took place on 15 November 2006. Mango planned to join Star Alliance as a Connecting Partner in the third quarter of 2016, but the plan has been put on hold due to South African Airways' financial state.[3]

Mango was grounded due to non-payments and debt to ACSA (Airports Company of South Africa) on 28 April 2021. No Mango airliners were allowed to either depart or land at any ACSA airport in South Africa as of 28 April 2021. Only a statement of apology was issued by the company. As of then, it was to be seen if any money from government which was granted to South African Airways (of which Mango is a subsidiary) was to be allocated to Mango as a bailout.[4] However it never resumed operations and in August 2022, the South African authorities suspended the airlines license altogether for at least two years.

On 6 September 2023, the Gauteng High Court ruled that the Minister of Public Enterprises must make decision within 30 days regarding the sale of Mango.

## Corporate affairs

[edit]

### Ownership

[edit]

Mango was 100% owned by South African Airways,[5] which is itself owned by the government of South Africa, but Mango operates independently as a low-cost airline with its own Board and balance sheet.

### Head office

[edit]

Mango's head office was at OR Tambo International Airport in Kempton Park, Ekurhuleni, Gauteng, on the mezzanine level of the Domestic Departure Terminal.[6][7]

### Business trends

[edit]

Financial and operational figures for Mango were fully incorporated within the SAA Group figures. Not all the results in the Group reports are broken down to subsidiary level, however, and therefore some figures below are from press reports.[8][9] As of March 2020, no results for Mango have been released for 2018 and 2019 because SAA has not itself released its Group results. (Figures below as at year ending 31 March:)

| 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

Turnover (Rm)  |  |  |  |  |  | 1,360  | 1,942  | 2,200  | 2,300  | 2,143
Net Profit/Loss before tax (Rm)  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 40.3  | 38.0  | −36.9 |
Net Profit/Loss after tax (Rm)  | loss | 10.9  | 13.7  | 0.3  | c. −92.8 | 39.1  | −16.1 |  |  | 12.5
Number of passengers (m)  | 1.5  | 1.3  | 1.3  | 1.4  | 1.6  | 1.8  | 2.3  | 2.5  | 3.0  | 2.9
Passenger load factor (%)  |  | 86  |  |  | 77  | 81.3  | 82.4  |  | 81.0  | 83.2
Number of staff (at year end)  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 598  |  |  | 713
Number of aircraft (at year end)  | 4  | 4  | 4  | 5  | 7  | 6  | 8  | 9  | 10  | 10
Notes/sources | [8][10] | [8][10][11] | [8][10] | [8][10] | [8][10] | [12] | [13] | [9] | [9][14] | [15]

## Destinations

[edit]

Before having all of its flights grounded on 28 April 2021, Mango served the following destinations:[16]

Country  | City  | Airport  | Notes

|
|
|

South Africa | Bloemfontein | Bram Fischer International Airport |
Cape Town | Cape Town International Airport | Focus city
Durban | King Shaka International Airport |
East London | East London Airport |
George | George Airport |
Gqeberha | Chief Dawid Stuurman International Airport |
Johannesburg | O. R. Tambo International Airport | Hub
Tanzania | Zanzibar | Zanzibar International Airport |

## Historical Fleet

[edit]

Mango Boeing 737-800

As of July 2021[update], the Mango fleet consisted of the following aircraft:[17]

Mango Fleet Aircraft | In Fleet | Introduced | Retired | Passengers | Notes

|
|
|
|
|

Boeing 737-300 | 1  | 2015  | 2016  | 148  |
1  | 2017  | 2019  |
Boeing 737-800 | 4  | 2006  | 2020  | 186  |
1  | 2011  |
1  | 2012  |
2  | 2013  |
1  | 2014  | 2021  |
3  | 2015  |
4  | 2018  |
Airbus A320-200 | 1  | 2018  | 2019  | 180  |
Total | 19  |

## Services

[edit]

### In-flight services

[edit]

As a low-cost airline, Mango featured a uniform fleet of aircraft with high seating density. Mango also offered online ticketing. A standard booking did not include food and drinks. Mango offered a buy on board programme offering food and drinks for purchase.[18][19]

Mango provided an in-flight magazine Mango Juice and used to offer Mango TV, a former daily in flight entertainment programme viewable on the drop-down televisions placed throughout the aircraft. In-flight Wi-Fi was also available on all flights for a fee. Wi-Fi services were provided by G-Connect, a local internet broadband provider.[20]

### Frequent-flyer program

[edit]

South African Airways Voyager members could redeem SAA Voyager miles with Mango, but were not yet able to earn SAA Voyager miles with Mango. No other SAA Voyager benefits, such as additional baggage, upgrades or lounge access, were applicable when using SAA Voyager miles to pay for a Mango flight.[21]

## See also

[edit]

* Kulula.com, another defunct South African low-cost airline

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Directory: World Airlines". Flight International. 10 April 2007. p. 47.
2. ^ "AVIATION: Ailing Mango Airlines' fate still in doubt while state and SAA refuse to fund restructuring". 10 May 2022.
3. ^ "Press - Star Alliance - Star Alliance". www.staralliance.com (in Japanese). Retrieved 31 August 2017.
4. ^ "Mango flights suspended | eNCA". Archived from the original on 30 September 2021. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
5. ^ "Directory: World Airlines". Flight International. 3 April 2007. p. 81.
6. ^ "Background [permanent dead link‍]." Ekurhuleni. 3 (3/8). Retrieved on 30 September 2009.
7. ^ "Contact Us Archived 12 May 2013 at the Wayback Machine." Mango. Retrieved on 27 December 2011. "Mezzanine Level Domestic Departure Terminal OR Tambo International Airport 1627"
8. ^ a b c d e f "Statement by Minister Malusi Gigaba on Mango and the South African aviation sector". Archived from the original on 16 February 2022. Retrieved 30 May 2012.
9. ^ a b c "Financial performance 'not pretty'". Sunday Times. Retrieved 16 November 2016.
10. ^ a b c d e "SAA Group Annual Report 2012" (PDF). Retrieved 13 December 2012.
11. ^ "Mango financial results to 31 Mar 2009". Retrieved 30 May 2012.
12. ^ "SAA Group Annual Report 2013" (PDF). Retrieved 25 July 2014.
13. ^ "South African Airways Group Integrated Annual Report 2014" (PDF). South African Airways. 2014. Retrieved 23 April 2015.
14. ^ "SAA finally reveals financial state of Mango Airlines". 24.com. Retrieved 23 November 2019.
15. ^ "South African Airways Group Integrated Annual Report 2017". South African Airways. 2017. Retrieved 14 November 2019.
16. ^ "Mango Airlines | Affordable South African Domestic Flights". Mango Airlines | Affordable South African Domestic Flights. Retrieved 31 August 2017.
17. ^ "Global Airline Guide 2017 (Part Two)". Airliner World (November 2017): 32.
18. ^ "Spaza Mango 1 Archived 27 February 2009 at the Wayback Machine." Mango. Retrieved 30 October 2008.
19. ^ "Spaza Mango 2 Archived 27 February 2009 at the Wayback Machine." Mango. Retrieved 30 October 2008.
20. ^ "Mango welcomes Sixth aircraft to its fleet; live on-board TV planned". Flymangonews.co.za. Archived from the original on 9 May 2021. Retrieved 30 May 2013.
21. ^ "Voyager". Archived from the original on 13 February 2014. Retrieved 28 February 2014.

## External links

[edit]

Media related to Mango (airline) at Wikimedia Commons

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