South Africa: The Driving Force Behind SA Mango Airlines Resigns

The driving force behind South Africa’s Mango Airlines, CEO Nico Bezuidenhout, has resigned, to go head up an European airline.

Bezuidenhout, is the third executive to depart from Mango with the CFO and director of flight operations having left recently.

He grew Mango into a successful profitable airline before being appointed Acting CEO of South African Airways (SAA). After implementing a turnaround plan at SAA he returned to Mango.

In an interview  Bezuidenhout said, “I have been looking for international exposure for a number of years and this has now come across my path. Recent happenings in the aviation industry may have contributed to a small extent, but it has been my plan all along.”

Nico said that his decision was 100 percent and categorically not a reflection on the financial state of Mango. Although not in business rescue like its mother firm South African Airways (SAA), Mango needs R1 billion in recapitalisation.

“Mango had been operating at about 6 percent of its normal seat capacity since restricted domestic flights were reintroduced under Level 3 in June. However, sales had surged four-fold in the last few days since all domestic travel restrictions were lifted under Level 2.”

Bezuidenhout has held the reins at Mango twice: First as founding CEO for 10 years between 2006 and 2016; and again since October 2019.

Source: africanaerospace.aero

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