South African airline Mango has suspended all flights until further notice.

This follows Tuesday’s flight interruptions and delays.

Reuters reported on Monday that Mango will enter into a local form of bankruptcy protection known as business rescue.

The airline’s acting CEO, William Ndlovu, said in a statement that the reason for the suspension was due to outstanding payments to Air Traffic and Navigation Services (ATNS).

“We can confirm that our services and all flights are temporarily suspended from today, 27 July 2021, until further notice due to outstanding payments to ATNS,” Ndlovu said.

He said senior management and their shareholder were in locked-in discussions to find an amicable solution to this impasse.

“We plan to resume normal operations as soon as possible. We ask for calm and patience as we navigate these challenges. We will update the public as soon as possible. We apologise in advance for the inconvenience caused,” he said.

What customers should know

He said affected passengers with valid and available contact details will be informed via email and SMS.

“Customers are also urged to contact us via email at enquiries@flymango.com and/or vouchers@flymango.com to deal with cancellations and voucher-related matters specifically. Issued vouchers will be valid for 24 months,” he added.

Fate

Mango has had a rough start to the year. The airline experienced flight delays due to outstanding payments to the Airport Company SA (ACSA), on April 28, 2021.

At the time, the airline said: “We can confirm that our services and all flights are temporarily suspended for today only, due to outstanding payments to ACSA.

“Senior management and our shareholder are locked in emergency discussions to find an amicable solution to this impasse”.

ACSA lifted the suspension later that day.