WITH the Festive
Season just around
the corner, two
local airlines have ceased
operations – Skywise and
FlyGoAir.
More than 8 000
passengers who have
booked to fly with Skywise
this festive season have
been stranded, as the airline
has ceased operations.
Skywise was grounded on
December 1 after failing
to pay suppliers Acsa and
ATNS. This is the second
time the airline has been
suspended as a result of
unpaid airport charges (see
TNW October 21).
Acsa said in a statement
the suspension would
stand until Skywise “made
appropriate payments in
accordance with the Airport
Charges Regulations”.
The airline is R8 million in
arrears.
Meanwhile, Skywise
has appealed to the SA
government to intervene or
accommodate passengers
on SAA. “More than R65
million of personal funds
have been invested in
Skywise and for only
R8 million in arrears,
government authorities
have shut down yet another
private airline,” the airline
said in an open letter to the
president.
“There was an agreement
reached to pay the arrears in
instalments and two of the
instalments were duly paid.
The third instalment was
due to be paid on December
1. We requested a 48-hour
extension but this was
rejected,” the airline said in
a statement.
A second casualty
Meanwhile, just a few
months after launching
operations, FlyGoAir has
ceased operations.
The airline is not currently
in possession of an Air
Operator Certificate (AOC),
neither is it licensed to
operate as an airline,
South Africa’s Civil Aviation
Authority (SACAA) told
TNW. Media relations and
communications consultant,
Kabelo Ledwaba, says
towards the end of last year,
FlyGoAir approached the
CAA with the intention of
securing an AOC. “However,
FlyGoAir has yet to meet any
of the requisite five-phase
Air Operator certification
processes.” Kabelo insisted
that it was misleading
and a contravention of
Civil Aviation Regulations
for FlyGoAir to present or
advertise itself as an AOC
holder or airline.
“If FlyGoAir is selling
tickets on behalf of other
AOC holders, they are
required to state that upfront
and not present themselves
as an airline.”
The airline stopped flying
between OR Tambo and
Pietermaritzburg three weeks
ago, says Pietermaritzburg
airport manager, Alvin
Naidoo.
“FlyGoAir staff are present
at the airline’s counters but
the airline has not taken off
or landed at Pietermaritzburg
Airport for the past three
weeks.” FlyGoAir had not
answered any queries as
to when it would resume
operations, he told TNW.
FlyGoAir passengers have
taken to social media to
complain about cancelled
flights and lack of refunds.
On the website, all flights
for December, January and
February are displayed
as ‘fully booked’.
FlyGoAir ceo, Reg
Sivsanker, would not
comment on whether the
airline was currently still
operating local flights. He
told TNW the High Court
dispute with Airlink had
taken its toll. “In view of
the turbulence we have
encountered, a decision may
be taken to suspend certain
routes.”
Reg added that FlyGoAir
was in talks with Cemair
to take over some of its
operations on certain routes.
However, Cemair has
confirmed that it has
terminated its lease
agreement with FlyGoAir.
Meanwhile, flyafrica.com
has closed all flights for sale
until January 17.
The airline group has been
battling issues, which have
prevented them from flying in
Namibia and Zimbabwe.
“We have not ceased
operations, but we do not
want to sell seats over the
Christmas period and put
people’s festive plans at
risk,” says flyafrica.com ceo,
Adrian Hamilton-Manns.
