Following months of speculation about Mango’s plans to expand its route network to incorporate regional destinations, the low-cost carrier has applied for rights to launch direct flights from Johannesburg to both Zanzibar and Kilimanjaro.
The application, to be considered by the International Air Services Council, was published in the Government Gazette earlier this month. Mango has applied for three return flights per week from OR Tambo to both Zanzibar and Kilimanjaro. Hein Kaiser, Mango Communications Manager, confirmed that the airline was in the process of applying for a scheduled operations regional licence. Mango currently operates weekly charters to Zanzibar in association with African Stays. He added, however, that at this time “any new route or network expansion plans are speculative. It would be fair to say that we are presently considering several regional destinations”.
Kaiser remained tight-lipped about whether or not Mango would be structuring packages around the flights (as 1time had done with 1time Holidays). He said: “Mango is presently investigating several new product offerings and innovations for our guests.”
