Low-cost carrier Mango Airlines is getting ready to take the skies once more, but will remain compliant with government regulations. The airline has announced that it will resume flying on Monday 15 June 2020 with new bookings already open.
Mango CEO says, Nico Bezuidenhout, “We are excited to return to the skies but these extraordinary and unprecedented times have required never-before-implemented extraordinary measures.”
Mango will only embark on permitted flights between Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town. Only individuals travelling for essential or business travel reasons are permitted to travel by air during this phase of lockdown, and all travellers must present a relevant travel permit and letter from their employer authorising travel. This will be checked at the entrance of airports and again at check-in/boarding.
Bezuidenhout says, “If a traveller does not have a relevant travel permit for either essential or business travel with the relevant signatures, the traveller will not be granted access to the airport, and may subsequently forfeit their ticket.”
With health and safety being a top priority for all flyers, Mango adheres to strict safety protocols and encourages passengers to also adhere to all mandated requirements for travel.
All Mango aircraft will continue to be cleaned between flights and deep-cleaned each night. The aircraft are also all equipped with High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters that capture 99% of airborne microbes in filtered air.
Taking its hygienic precautions one step further, together with Momentum Multiply, Mango aircraft are equipped with surface disinfectant sprays that sterilise and protect surface touch points on board our aircraft.
The airline will be strategically seating passengers on-board all aircraft with exceptions made for guests who are traveling together. “We will additionally be making it compulsory for all guests and crew to wear cloth masks prior to entering aircraft. Guests are to note that if they do not arrive at the airport with a mask, they will be prohibited airport entry,” he says.
Sanitiser will be provided for ground crews, air crews and guests, however catering will not be offered on board.
Mango will be implementing no touch policies, asking that ID documentation, ticketing and tickets are shown instead of handed to respective Mango team members. Perspex shields have also been installed at the check-in counters that we will be using as an additional protective barrier between Mango employees and passengers.
All additional precautionary measures will impact turnaround times, says Bezuidenhout. “We will be increasing the turnaround times between flights to allow for the smooth flow of boarding and disembarking of passengers. We request that guests arrive at the airport early, noting that extra time may be required under present conditions.”
Mango will continue to work closely with ACSA, the Department of Health and Port Health to ensure any requirements in relation to standardised or random temperature testing is availed where need be.
“We implore all guests that it is best to stay home if any form of sickness is suspected over this period,” says Bezuidenhout.
He assures that ticket accommodations in this regard can be made with one free date change available to all Guests from 5 June 2020 for the next two months.