SA Express to restart operations on Thursday.

SA Express has confirmed it will be resuming its flying operations from this Thursday, 23rd August 2018, following recent news that both the airline’s Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC) and Aircraft Maintenance Organisation (AMO) licenses by the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) had been reinstated.

The South African regional airline has also already received Certificates of Airworthiness for most of its 11 aircraft from SACAA, with the remaining fleet expected to be given the green light in the next few days.

The future of airlines in South Africa looks set in mergers

The future of three state-owned airlines of South Africa looks stronger together as merger talks are started according to the minister of public enterprises. 

Pravin Gordhan told local media sources on Sunday that discussions regarding the merger of three government airlines,  SA Express, Mango and South African Airways had already started and would continue this week with other relevant ministers.

Mr Gordhan stated that was starting discussions this week with other departments, including the Treasury, with a view to evaluating the research work already completed by consulting firms as to the future of the airlines, "We must ask which areas we can rationalise, use one another’s resources,” he said.

SA Express operators certificate suspended

The South African Civil Aviation Authority has suspended South African Express's Air Operator's Certificate as well as the airline's Aircraft Maintenance Organisation (AMO) approvals. 

In addition, the SACAA has also suspended the certificates of airworthiness of nine of the twenty-one aircraft being operated by the airline. This means that, as of today, SA Express can no longer continue to operate as an airline.