KENYA: Jambojet Gets 2018 Bombardier Reliability Award

Mr Allan Kilavuka(middle), CEO, Jambojet and Maureen Okomo, Chief Engineer, Jambojet receive the Bombardier 2018 Airline Reliability Award from Todd Young, Vice President and General Manager, Head of the Q Series Aircraft Program, Bombardier Commercial Aircraft.
Jambojet, has been awarded the 2018 Bombardier Reliability Award for outstanding performance.

Jambojet was the only African airline among the thirteen airlines from around the world that were recognised. The award recognizes operators of Bombardier Q Series turboprops who achieve the highest rates of dispatch reliability.

Jambojet Chief Executive officer Mr Allan Kilavuka said the award is an endorsement and acknowledgement of Jambojet’s performance in its operations and aircraft maintenance procedures.

This has been a big year for Jambojet with major milestones in the five years since our establishment. The Bombardier Award further attests to our commitment to deliver on our core values on safety and reliability as the region’s affordable airline, he said.

The Bombardier Reliability Award rewards airlines based on their dispatch reliability. This is the percentage of flights that depart within a specified time of the scheduled departure time.

Airlines global standard uses a 15-minute margin between actual and scheduled departure time for a flight to be considered as having departed on time.

Jambojet’s On-time performance (OTP) currently stands at 81%, one of the highest in Kenya.

We are delighted to congratulate this year’s award recipients for their outstanding performance, said Todd Young, Vice President and General Manager, Head of the Q Series Aircraft Program, Bombardier Commercial Aircraft.

We are proud of the strong collaboration between Bombardier, our operators and suppliers and the success it delivers in providing efficient, reliable air service to communities worldwide.

Low-cost carriers have entered the African market in recent in recent years to ensure travellers don’t have to rob banks in order to afford flights.

Travelling by Air is the best and safest mode of transport today. However, despite its perks and comforts Air travel does not come cheap, it is one of the most expensive mode of travelling.

Low-cost carriers have entered the market in recent in recent years to ensure travellers don’t have to rob banks in order to fly, offering affordable flights without compromising on quality.

Below are some of Africa’s leading low-cost airline which offers absolute comfort.

Fastjet Airlines is a British/South African-based holding company for a group of low cost carriers that operate in Africa.

The carrier entered the African space in 2012 and since then they have flown over 2,250,000 passengers to some of southern Africa’s most incredible countries from as little as US$20 one way.

Fastjet offer the lowest possible fares through an ingenious budget model where passengers who make advance booking pay less.

Passengers who want additional services such as food, baggage and seat choices pay extra making it cheaper for to fly for those seeking minimal additions.

Flyjet airlines currently flies to; Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe

It was named Africa’s leading low-cost airline during the World Travel Awards, 2017.

Five Forty Aviation Ltd, trading as Fly540, is a low-cost airline based in Nairobi, Kenya.

The carrier commenced operations in 2006 and offers flights for as low as $50 one way.

Fly540 is East Africa’s premier low cost airline offering scheduled flights all year round to destinations within Kenya, South Sudan and Zanzibar.

Kulula Airlines often referred to as Kulula.com is one of South Africa’s leading low cost airlines based on Johannesburg.

"Kulula" means easy in isZulu and isiXhosa, which explains the airline's approach to booking and flying

It was founded in 2001 and has a fleet of about ten aircrafts.

It is a wholly owned low-cost subsidiary of British Airways Franchisee Comair and was the first privately owned low cost airline in South Africa

Precision Air Services Plc is a Tanzanian airline based at Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam, with a minihub at Mwanza Airport.

It was established in 1993 and started as a private charter air Transport Company operating a five-seater piper Aztec aircraft.

Its initial line of business mainly entailed providing connections to tourists visiting the rich natural attractions of Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Crater, in northern Tanzania, the Zanzibar Island in the Indian Ocean and other parts of the country from Arusha town as its base.

In 2003 Kenya Airways acquired a minority 49% shareholding leaving majority 51% shares in the control of one local Tanzanian businessman.

Since then, Precision Air has literally turned its image into a professionally run modern regional airline.

It currently flies to parts of Tanzania, Zanzibar, Nairobi and Entebbe with its modern fleet consisting of, Five 70 seater ATR 72-500, Three 48 seater ATR 42-500 and 1 48 seater ATR 42-600.

Mango Airlines SOC Ltd, trading as Mango, is a state-owned South African low-cost airline based at OR Tambo International Airport near Johannesburg and a subsidiary of South African Airways.

Mango first launched end October 2006 with its first flight taking to the skies on 15 November 2006.

It is considered South Africa's most innovative airline and flies between South Africa’s major airports.

Mango also operates twice-weekly flights between Johannesburg and Zanzibar.

According to the airline it is the only airline globally to accept store charge cards in lieu of booking payment and the only African airline to offer on-board Wi-Fi.


Tourism Observer

SOUTH AFRICA: British Airways To Commence Flights To Durban From October 29

South African city of Durban with the start of British Airways’ new direct service.

From October 29 holidaymakers will be able to surf their heart out along the Golden Mile, explore the lush green garden province and enjoy golden sun kissed beaches with three direct flights a week from Heathrow to the spectacular South African city.

The service will be the only non-stop link between Europe and Durban and flights will be operated by the airline’s newest fleet of aircraft, the Boeing 787-8.

The timetable will have a morning arrival into Durban and an evening arrival into Heathrow.

The new route comes as British Airways rolls out a £4.5 billion, five-year customer investment plan, with a focus on excellence in the premium cabins and more choice and quality for all its customers.

Durban is a year round destination, with sultry summers and mild, dry winters.

It has long been a favourite holiday playground for South Africans but will soon be easier than ever for international visitors to enjoy too.

Alex Cruz, British Airways’ Chairman and CEO, said: Durban’s warm water, hot summers and laid-back beachy atmosphere make this coastal city the perfect holiday destination.

It is a gateway to many nature reserves, parks and historic sites, and has a thriving food, drink and art scene; defining the city as a must visit for culture and adventure.

Sihle Zikalala, Minister for the Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs, said: We are proud to be able to showcase the city of Durban to the world through this new British Airways direct flight.

The sheer diversity in travel and business opportunities that visitors can access through this gateway into the province of KwaZulu-Natal will unlock enormous potential.

Tickets are available to buy on ba.com and start from £599 in World Traveller (economy cabin), £1214 in World Traveller Plus (premium economy) and £3199 in Club World (business class).

Customers can also choose to cut the cost of flights by using Avios in part payment.

British Airways operates a twice daily service from Heathrow Terminal 5 to Johannesburg and flies year-round to Cape Town every day from Terminal 3 and three times a week from Gatwick during the winter season.

British Airways has a long-standing partnership with Comair who fly direct from Johannesburg and Cape Town to Durban and six other destinations across South Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa and the Indian Ocean Islands.

For those wanting to escape to the South African sun, British Airways Holidays has the following packages on offer:

British Airways Holidays offers flight & five nights stay at the 5* The Oyster Box, from £1299 per person, travelling on selected dates in November.

Includes World Traveller return flights from London Heathrow and accommodation with breakfast.


Tourism Observer

SOUTH AFRICA: Comair Prospering

Comair, a franchisee of British Airways and parent company of low-cost airline Kulula.com, says its bottom line gain will be higher than initially anticipated.

In a statement issued on Friday, it said earnings per share should be between 125 percent and 145 percent higher year-on-year for the six months to December.

This places earnings per share at between 40 and 44c a share.

Headline earnings per share, a key measure of profitability, are expected to be between 213 percent and 233 percent better at between 41 and 44c a share.

In the six month to December 2015, the company – which will report its results on Valentine’s Day, earned 18c in earnings per share, while headline earnings per share came in at 13.1c.

Earlier this month, the low-cost airline manager said earnings and headline earnings per share are expected to be at least 20 percent higher in the 6 months to December.

In the year-ago comparative period, Comair reported pre-tax profit of R382 million, which translated into earnings per share of 18c. However, this was substantially below the 2015 figure of 37.6c, mostly due to the weak rand.

In the 6 months to December 2016 headline earnings per share came in at 13.1c, compared with 37.6c in the 2015 period.

Comair, which in 2016 was involved in a strike, a tussle over its licence and a challenge from a competitor on its foreign ownership, explains that its gains are mostly due to the strengthening of the rand against the dollar.

This resulted in the reversal of unrealised translation losses on the dollar-denominated aircraft loan amounting to R98 million.

In addition, it said, all loss making open oil hedges had matured by December 31 and no further hedges were entered into.

Oil has currently stabilised around $54 a barrel.

Comair notes it cannot currently be more specific as to its figures, but will publish a more detailed statement “in due course”. It did not indicate when its results will be published, but JSE rules require its figures are out by the end of March.

Fastjet Negelects Nairobi And Entebbe, But To Relocate To South Africa 2017

Fastjet's new Chief Executive, Nico Bezuidenhout, would sooner or later be looking at the South African domestic market, now that key decisions are out of the way.

A relocation in early 2017 from London Gatwick to Johannesburg will take the head office of the airline into the African continent where operations actually take place, for now in Tanzania on domestic and regional routes and in Zimbabwe on one domestic route to Vic Falls and twice daily to Johannesburg.

Other decisions taken was to phase out the Airbus A319 fleet thought to be too large to operate profitably on other than high density routes and while presently only one Embraer E190 is flying for Fastjet are more expected in due course.

Information from usually reliable sources have now indicated that CEO Nico is eying the South African domestic market, where of course for the past decade before joining Fastjet he managed Mango, South African Airways' LCC.

This, if proven to be correct, would be an indicator that both Zambia and Kenya may go on the back burner though considerable work and resources have flown into getting operating licences and relevant permits to commence operations in these two countries.

Given the level of competition in South Africa in the LCC segment however, with other established players being Kulula among others, owned by Comair, a British Airways affiliate, and given that a former Fastjet Manager, one Kyle Haywood, failed to get the airline off the ground and subsequently left Fastjet, will Nico however have his work cut out for him, to consolidate on one side and push for expansion on the other into a notoriously hard fought over market as South Africa is.

If Fastjet goes ahead it will also have to review their business model which up to now saw Fastjet PLC hold 49 percent of the shares of the two companies in Tanzania and Zimbabwe, leaving the remaining 51 percent controlling interest in the hands of local investors. South Africa however has a lower threshold of just 25 percent of shares being permitted to be held by a foreign investor, something Fastjet's board no doubt will have to take a hard look at.

For now though are the few remaining flights from Dar es Salaam to Entebbe and Nairobi underway before, on 05th December, both services, alongside flights from Vic Falls to Johannesburg, will be halted until further notice.

St Helena To Become Africa-South America Platform

With the opening in May of a new airport on St Helena, not only will the remote south Atlantic Island’s centuries of isolation come to an historic end, but it could also have a new role; that of a stepping stone for those travelling between South America and Africa.

In recognition of its unique position, St Helena has been welcomed as a member by both the African Travel & Tourism Association and the Latin American Travel Association, becoming the only country in the world to do so.

Located 1,200 miles from the south west coast of Africa and 1,800 miles from the coast of South America, and currently only accessible by boat, St Helena is best known as the final home of the exiled Napoleon Bonaparte.

History may now come full circle as the Island’s bygone role was to act as a vital refuelling stop for ships travelling between Africa and the Americas.

Commenting on the decision to join both groups, director of tourism, Chris Pickard said: “St Helena is uniquely positioned virtually half way between the two continents.

“Both are seeing significant increases in visitor numbers and we believe that St Helena could, over time, become a twin destination for holiday makers looking for a new experience.

“Although we have only recently joined them, we have already had several meaningful discussions with organisations from both continents and I am confident that St Helena will soon emerge on Latin America and Africa itineraries.

“A number of leading tour operators are members of both Atta and LATA and are exactly the tour operators that will be placing St Helena in front of their clients.”

A former chairman of LATA, Pickard was responsible for setting up the Brazilian government’s first overseas tourist office and is no stranger to working with trade partners to promote long haul destinations.

Although the initial air service provider (Comair/British Airways) will provide a weekly flight between St Helena and Johannesburg, once the airport is fully operational the island will want to attract other operators.

Annually around 600 yachtsmen and women already stop off on St Helena as they sail between Africa and South America, as well as thousands of passengers on cruise ships travelling between the two continents.

ST HELENA: St Helena Expecting An Influx Of Tourists

Tiny South Atlantic island of Saint Helena – where Napoleon died in exile – dreams of becoming a tourist draw when its first airport opens next year despite fears it cannot accommodate an influx of visitors.

For years only accessible by boat, St Helena has just one bank, no cash machine and no mobile telephone reception.

Sailing out to St Helena from Cape Town every three weeks, the boat journey takes five long days. Because the island is so remote, only 1,500 tourists visit each year.

But the tourism office hopes the weekly 4.5-hour passenger flights scheduled to start from Johannesburg in February 2016 will change that – and the island's economy – forever.

Its director Cathy Alberts says she expects 30,000 tourists a year, and voices hope that the change will help St Helena become self-sufficient.

Perched in the Atlantic half-way between Africa and South America, the island relies on Britain for most of its income – £60 million (US$89 million, RM321 million) a year – but has its sights set on financial independence.

"We talk about 600 people per week. So it's not that much," Alberts said. "It is doable, absolutely. As the demand increases, people will start providing the services."

Visitors will have several days in St Helena, ample time to see the local sights, including the house where Napoleon, France's greatest military hero, died on May 5, 1821.

But not everyone is happy with the change.

The idea of crowds of camera-wielding tourists worries many of the island's 4,200 residents, who worry the island cannot meet such a demand.

"You can imagine the chaos on the roads," said Niall O'Keefe, who heads local development company Enterprise St Helena.

Island life threatened?

Local officials say change would not come instantaneously.

"In 10 years, I see St Helena livelier, with more people, more restaurants, more shops," the island's governor Mark Capes said.

"But it will not be a big bang, it will not happen overnight."

Hoteliers are lobbying for a second flight to Britain, home to most of the island's tourists.

"To have two flights a week, we will need to double our hotel capacity," finance official Dax Richards said, adding that a surge in demand would swamp St Helena's meagre facilities.

Currently, the island offers just 85 tourists beds for tourists and a few self-catering units.

Beds are just part of the problem. Because of its remoteness and dependence on funding, the island's infrastructure is lacking.

Some in the tourism industry worry that well-heeled visitors will be disappointed by unprofessional service – or problems like garbage in the Jamestown moat – and vent their disappointment on influential travel websites.

Others fear something worse: that the island could lose its soul.

"I hope we don't lose our cohesion, our sense of solidarity," tour guide Basil George said. "That's my fear with the airport, not the airport itself."

Building the airport has already disturbed the island, which is framed by craggy volcanic cliffs soaring hundreds of metres above sea level and enjoys a mild climate despite being located near the equator.

A construction crew of 600 has had a big impact during the four-year project, which included chipping away at a mountain and backfilling an entire valley.

Today the runway, 1,950m long and 45m wide, ends just before the cliff drops a dramatic 300m into the Atlantic Ocean.

Funded by the British government and built by a South African construction company, the airport cost £250 million (US$370 million).

When South African airline Comair's Boeing 737-800 flights begin, up to 138 passengers will travel into St Helena each week – roughly the same number of people who arrive every three weeks by boat.

But the runway being built at the island's eastern tip is not long enough to accommodate larger aircraft flying from Europe.

The airport project also includes the construction of a 14-kilometre access road, which leads into a valley near the capital Jamestown, where a new wharf is being built for £20 million (US$30 million).

Before the first plane lifts off, cell phone service is expected to start – another major upheaval.

Whatever locals think, they must soon accept the inevitable reality that after years in isolation, St Helena is joining the rest of the world.

CHINA: China's HNA Group Acquires 23.7% Stake In Brazil's Azul

Hainan Airlines
Type: Scheduled Carrier
Base: Haikou
Aircraft: 162
Destinations: 85
Routes: 299
Daily Flights: 605

Azul Linhas Aéreas Brasileiras (AD, Campinas Viracopos) and HNA Group have announced a strategic partnership wherein the Chinese conglomerate will acquire a 23.7% stake in the Brazilian carrier for USD450 million. As Azul's single largest shareholder, HNA will be able to appoint new members to the board of directors.

“HNA Group sees in Azul a solid investment with high growth potential. The USD450 million investment, considering Brazil’s current macroeconomic situation, demonstrates that we have a winning business model and that the HNA Group, as a large investor, has absolute confidence in Azul’s team," David Neeleman, CEO of Azul, said. "Moreover, this investment makes Azul the airline with the highest valuation in the Brazilian market, at more than BRL7.0 billion (USD1.87 billion).”

As part of the deal, the two firms will cooperate in the development of code sharing and new routes while expanding cooperation across their respective loyalty programs.

The partnership brings together two of the largest players in two of the fastest-growing aviation markets in the world - China and Brazil. With a fleet of 145 aircraft, Azul is the largest airline in Brazil by network-size, offering more than 900 daily flights to more than 100 destinations. For its part, HNA Group owns China's fourth largest airline group in terms of fleet size with a total of 561 aircraft on the books of Hainan Airlines, Grand China Air, Tianjin Airlines, Lucky Air (China), West Air (China), and Yangtze River Express. It operates scheduled domestic and international service on more than 630 routes from locations throughout China as well as internationally. HNA Group's international portfolio includes stakes in myCargo Airlines (Turkey), Africa World Airlines (Ghana), Aigle Azur (France), and Comair (South Africa).

Bravia Capital and UBS Investment Bank served as financial advisor to HNA Group while Seabury Securities LLC, Seabury Group's investment banking unit, served as financial advisor to Azul.

Earlier this year, United Airlines (UA, Chicago O'Hare) acquired a 5% shareholding in Azul for USD100 million in a deal that also gave United Continental Holdings Inc a representative on Azul's board.

SOUTH AFRICA: FlySafair, Skywise And Fly Blue Crane Face Challenging Future

On 1 September, Fly Blue Crane became the third new carrier in the last 12 months to launch service in the South African domestic market. The ERJ 145 operator joins FlySafair and Skywise in attempting to break the virtual duopoly in the domestic market. South African Airways and its low-cost subsidiary Mango, along with Comair’s British Airways franchise flights and its own low-cost kulula.com operation currently dominate the domestic scene.

With a population of around 55 million people (around 10% fewer than Italy) and covering an area about three times the size of Japan, South Africa’s airports only handled 35.2 million passengers in 2014, according to ACSA (Airports Company of South Africa). The country’s three main international airports in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban account for over 90% of that traffic. After double-digit growth between 2005 and 2007, passenger numbers fell in 2008, 2009, 2012 and 2013, but grew in 2010, 2011 and 2014. Data from ACSA reveals that in each of the first six months of 2015 total passengers across the country’s three main airports has grown by 3.9%, as a result of which demand has now grown in 11 of the last 12 months, the exception being September 2014.

Domestic market up 11%, UAE capacity up 25%
Analysis of OAG schedule data for September 2015 and September 2014 reveals that seat capacity is up just over 8%. Domestic routes account for around 70% of departing seat capacity across the country’s airports, and the total number of domestic seats is up almost 11%, partly due to the emergence of new carriers FlySafair (which launched in October 2014) and Skywise (which launched on 5 March 2015). Another new domestic start-up, Fly Blue Crane, began operations at the beginning of September, but its schedule data is not yet showing up in OAG figures. All of these new carriers will be mindful of what happened to 1time and Velvet Sky among others.



Among the leading country markets, the UAE is now the leading international destination, and has seen seat capacity growth of 25% in the last 12 months, partly due to Emirates adding a fourth daily flight from Dubai to Johannesburg and South African Airways launching daily flights at the end of March 2015 from Johannesburg to Abu Dhabi. The route is already served by Etihad Airways with whom SAA is operating a codeshare on this new service.

Zimbabwe and Namibia have also seen capacity growth of over 20% in the last 12 months, while the leading European markets of UK and Germany have each grown by less than 3%. Two other leading long-haul markets, Australia and the US, have seen virtually no change in seat capacity.

SOUTH AFRICA: Fly Blue Crane 3rd Airline To Launch Flights In Domestic Market

On 1 September, Fly Blue Crane became the third new carrier in the last 12 months to launch service in the South African domestic market. The ERJ 145 operator joins FlySafair and Skywise in attempting to break the virtual duopoly in the domestic market. South African Airways and its low-cost subsidiary Mango, along with Comair’s British Airways franchise flights and its own low-cost kulula.com operation currently dominate the domestic scene.

With a population of around 55 million people (around 10% fewer than Italy) and covering an area about three times the size of Japan, South Africa’s airports only handled 35.2 million passengers in 2014, according to ACSA (Airports Company of South Africa). The country’s three main international airports in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban account for over 90% of that traffic. After double-digit growth between 2005 and 2007, passenger numbers fell in 2008, 2009, 2012 and 2013, but grew in 2010, 2011 and 2014. Data from ACSA reveals that in each of the first six months of 2015 total passengers across the country’s three main airports has grown by 3.9%, as a result of which demand has now grown in 11 of the last 12 months, the exception being September 2014.

Domestic market up 11%, UAE capacity up 25%
Analysis of OAG schedule data for September 2015 and September 2014 reveals that seat capacity is up just over 8%. Domestic routes account for around 70% of departing seat capacity across the country’s airports, and the total number of domestic seats is up almost 11%, partly due to the emergence of new carriers FlySafair (which launched in October 2014) and Skywise (which launched on 5 March 2015). Another new domestic start-up, Fly Blue Crane, began operations at the beginning of September, but its schedule data is not yet showing up in OAG figures. All of these new carriers will be mindful of what happened to 1time and Velvet Sky among others.

Among the leading country markets, the UAE is now the leading international destination, and has seen seat capacity growth of 25% in the last 12 months, partly due to Emirates adding a fourth daily flight from Dubai to Johannesburg and South African Airways launching daily flights at the end of March 2015 from Johannesburg to Abu Dhabi. The route is already served by Etihad Airways with whom SAA is operating a codeshare on this new service.

Zimbabwe and Namibia have also seen capacity growth of over 20% in the last 12 months, while the leading European markets of UK and Germany have each grown by less than 3%. Two other leading long-haul markets, Australia and the US, have seen virtually no change in seat capacity.

SOUTH AFRICA: Skywise’s Commences Johannesburg to Cape Town Flights

Skywise celebrated the launch of its first operations at Johannesburg Airport, with the addition of twice-daily flights to Cape Town
Skywise, the South African carrier that was founded in 2012 before suffering from numerous licencing issues, finally commenced first operations on 5 March, adding flights from Johannesburg (JNB) to Cape Town (CPT).

Even though this route is extensively competed, with flights offered by South African Airways (126 times weekly), Comair (122), Mango Airlines (43) and FlySafair (26), Skywise will operate twice-daily flights using its 737-300s.

SOUTH AFRICA: Mango To Fly Ninth Route Mango Durban Launch

Mango’s last new route launch was back in November 2013, between Johannesburg and George. So the LCC’s decision to start service between Durban and Lanseria from 15 October is pretty big news, as it is only the airline’s ninth domestic route and tenth in all.

Mango was established in 2006 as the low-cost subsidiary of South African Airways (SAA), in response to Comair having created kulula.com and eaten into SAA’s share of the domestic market. With its own IATA code (JE), the LCC began operations in November 2006 with four 186-seat 737-800s leased from SAA. Since then the fleet has grown to 12 of the type, with additional aircraft being passed on from SAA as it acquires new A320s. Based on OAG schedule data, annual seat capacity grew by just 30% between 2008 and 2012, but between 2012 and 2015 the airline has expanded more rapidly, resulting in capacity growth of almost 70% in that period.

According to SAA’s 2014 Annual Report, Mango carried 2.2 million passengers in the 12 months ending 31 March 2014, compared with 7.1 million for SAA itself. This means that Mango accounts for almost 24% of all passengers flying with SAA Group airlines. Annual load factor for the airline has been in the low 80s in both of the last two years. Again, according to the report, Mango’s aircraft are utilised up to three block-hours per aircraft per day more than that of the domestic market average.

Eight domestic routes about to become nine
At present, Mango operates on eight domestic airport pairs, as well as a twice-weekly service from Johannesburg to Zanzibar off the East African coast. Five of the eight routes are served at least twice-daily, with the Cape Town-Durban route being the only one on which Mango offers more weekly flights than any other airline.

Starting on 15 October, Mango will launch a ninth domestic route, between Durban and Lanseria, which will be operated with double-daily flights. This is a route that kulula.com already serves with 36 weekly flights. In addition there will be frequency increases on several other routes; Johannesburg-Durban increases to 52 weekly flights, Cape Town-Durban to 42 weekly flights, Johannesburg-Port Elizabeth to 25 weekly flights, and Johannesburg-George to seven weekly flights.

Mango’s 12 737-800s have an estimated average age of 15 years according to planespotters.net, as most are hand-me-downs from parent company SAA. The aircraft have high utilisation with the first flight of the day on most routes being before 07:00.