Mango Airlines customers offered hope of refunds after 2021 grounding

Thousands of Mango Airlines passengers who were left out of pocket when the low-cost South African airline was grounded in 2021 may finally see some relief. Business rescue practitioner Sipho Sono has confirmed that affected travellers can now register their ticket details online to begin the long-awaited refund process.

Mango, a subsidiary of South African Airways (SAA), was placed under business rescue in July 2021 after financial difficulties and regulatory hurdles forced it to halt operations. Since then, many customers who had purchased tickets for future flights have been left in limbo, unable to access refunds or rebook travel.

In a promising development this week, Sono announced that the claims process is now open to those who never received their money back. “Passengers who were affected by Mango’s grounding and who have not yet been refunded are encouraged to register their claims online,” he said. “This is the first formal step toward ensuring that legitimate ticket holders are reimbursed.”

Although it remains unclear how long the refund process will take or whether all claims will be fully honoured, the move has been widely welcomed by consumer groups and travel industry observers.

“This is a significant step forward,” said Aviation Analyst James Letsoalo. “Mango’s grounding caused a lot of frustration and financial loss, especially to budget-conscious travellers who relied on the airline. Giving these customers a mechanism to recover their funds is a necessary part of the airline’s recovery process.”

The announcement comes amid growing speculation that Mango Airlines could soon return to the skies. According to industry insiders, Mango’s relaunch could be on the horizon if key regulatory and financial hurdles are cleared. Earlier this year, Mango's business rescue plan was accepted by creditors and approved by the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC), paving the way for a potential restart.

However, the airline still awaits the critical go-ahead from South Africa’s Department of Public Enterprises, which holds oversight over the state-owned parent company, SAA. Without this final approval, Mango’s return remains uncertain.

For now, the focus is on offering restitution to affected customers. The online portal for claims has been launched and is expected to stay open for several weeks to allow time for all eligible travellers to submit their information.

Claimants will need to provide original booking details, proof of payment, and identification documents to verify eligibility.

“We understand the frustration passengers have felt over the past few years,” said Sono. “While this doesn’t undo the inconvenience or financial strain caused, we hope this gesture shows our commitment to resolving outstanding issues fairly and transparently.”

More than 300 000 tickets were reportedly impacted by the grounding of Mango in 2021. As of June 2025, it remains unclear how many of those passengers have already received compensation or credits.

Travellers are advised to visit Mango’s official website or the business rescue practitioner’s portal for more information on how to lodge a claim.

This marks the first tangible progress for stranded Mango passengers in four years — and possibly the beginning of a new chapter for one of South Africa’s once-popular low-cost carriers.