It is unlikely that 1Time airline customers will be refunded for booked flights any time soon.
This weekend about 10 000 people around the country will be left stranded or be forced to fork out thousands of rand to re-book with other airlines to travel to their destinations.
The Airports Company of SA’s most on-time airline announced yesterday that it applied for business liquidation, and that all of its flights had been grounded.
At King Shaka International Airport yesterday afternoon dozens of angry and shocked 1Time passengers were turned away and told to book with another airline.
And passengers who had booked flights for today were disgusted to arrive at the airport to make alternative arrangements to find a closed ticket kiosk with not a staff member in sight.
Zanele Nxipu (27), a hygiene inspector who was booked to fly home to Johannesburg on a 5.10pm flight, was shocked and angry when she arrived to find it had been cancelled.
“I was in a mad rush all the way from Scottburgh in the traffic in a hired car and now this,” Nxipu said.
“When we got here there were two women at the desk who told us there were no flights because all flights had been suspended. She gave us a refund form to fill out and said “go and get yourself another flight”. What if I didn’t have any money?”
Nxipu said the only flight she could get was at 8pm for R1 004. She had paid R1 900 for her return ticket with 1Time.
“I’ve got two children waiting for me at home. I have been promising since 11am that I will be home at 6pm. They knew they were going to close down so why didn’t they tell us? Only after I filled in the refund form did I get an sms saying the flight had been cancelled. It’s incompetence. I mean, look, they didn’t even put a notice up.
“They apparently stopped (flights) at noon,” Nxipu said. “I’m shocked and angry. I feel sorry for the staff as well.”
Vicky Oosthuizen (30), who works in the airline industry, was disgusted when she arrived at the airport last night to find no staff in sight.
“I am flying to Joburg tomorrow and someone just phoned me to tell me (the flights have been cancelled). I’ve come here to sort out my tickets. The fact that their offices are closed is ridiculous.
“Now I have to buy a brand new ticket just to get home.”
Durban resident Maria Marais (37), a personal assistant who is a paraplegic, was outraged that she had booked a flight yesterday morning for her family to travel to Johannesburg on November 28 to attend a family wedding.
“We paid R3 894. It is so disheartening. We haven’t flown since 1994 and my oldest son of five was so excited about flying for the first time,” Marais said.
She was especially upset that the airline staff member had processed the booking even though he was aware she was disabled and that her husband had to rush to the doctor to get a special needs request form completed.
“It’s just unfeeling,” she said.
The company announced its closure yesterday afternoon.
“It is... with the utmost regret, disappointment and heartfelt disbelief that we have to file for liquidation, which means the end of a dream and an era for all of us,” 1Time chief executive Blacky Komani said in a statement.
The firm had about R320 million in short-term debt and had been in negotiations with creditors since March.
“I sincerely thank our employees who worked so hard over the years to drive 1Time’s business... and our passengers, who carried and maintained 1Time during our most difficult and trying financial times. Your loyalty is appreciated,” Komani said.
ACSA spokesman Solomon Makgale said last night the company had been working very closely with 1Time and that this was a very sad time for everyone involved.
Makgale said Acsa had been engaging 1Time’s business rescue practitioner, along with other creditors.
“It is regrettable that no final business rescue plan was put before the creditors for consideration.”
Comair Airways Limited also expressed regret over 1Time’s liquidation.
“It is sad to see that around 1 000 1Time staff have lost their jobs at a time when job creation is a national imperative.”
Venter also took a swipe at Mango Airline.
“We are certain that in the absence of state-subsidised Mango, 1Time would have made adequate profits to upgrade its fleet and be sustainable over the long term.”
Mango announced that it would make affordable capacity available to assist stranded passengers.
In previous years when other airlines such as Velvet Sky and Nationwide applied for liquidation, its creditors were paid first. Many customers never received their money back.
Independent on Saturday