JOHANNESBURG – A Gauteng high court ruled in favour of SA Express following a protracted contractual dispute between the airline and charter operator Solenta Aviation in an arbitration hearing on Monday.
Solenta Aviation applied for the liquidation of the airline over an unpaid R87.3 million it owed the charter operator in unpaid leasing debts due on three E145s aircraft it wet-leased from Solenta between October 2016 and June 2017.
SA Express said in a statement that it was happy to be vindicated by Monday’s ruling.
“It is unfortunate that the dispute had to drag on for such a prolonged period of time, but we are just relieved that the matter is now behind us and we can now focus on the core business of restoring SA Express’s fortunes as we continue on our quest to reclaim the airline’s mettle as a leader in the local and regional aviation industry,” interim CEO Siza Mzimela said.
The ruling coincides with the airline’s celebration of its key performance milestone - the reopening of its second largest base in Cape Town.