Mango Airlines disregard for COVID precautions

My email to Mango which has gone unanswered, despite re-sends.

I had the misfortune to fly Mango flight JE259 (OR Tambo to Durban) at 16h00 on Friday 23 October.

I list my concerns and comments;

There was no air conditioning on until the plane took off, just a very light (warm) flow from the overhead nozzles. I suspect the APU (Auxi****y Power Unit) was not operational, hence no air-conditioning.

- Outside temperature was around 30 degrees and it was EXTREMELY uncomfortable to wear a mask, which Mango insists may not be removed.

- Passengers were boarded and some would have sat for 40 minutes without air conditioning switched on. The aircraft APU is there for precisely this purpose. I have flown Safair and Airlink in the last week and both their aircraft were cooled and ventilated when passengers boarded.

- We are assured that flying is SAFE because the ventilation systems effectively purify the air. That is HOGWASH if passengers spend 40 minutes with no ventilation, preceding a 50-minute flight.

- Your own website states - You can fly confidently, knowing our HEPA filtration systems capture 99.9% of airborne particles, and continually refreshes cabin air. That is not true if the system is not running.

- The air conditioning / ventilation was only switched on after take-off and it took about 15 minutes for the cabin to reach a comfortable temperature

So, I ask the question … Given ALL the COVID precautions of sanitising, social distancing, filling in of forms, lack of cabin assistance from airline staff, lack of refreshments (which Airlink provide) and a R2500 airfare (JNB – DUR) ...

… WHY IS MANGO NOT PROTECTING ITS PASSENGERS?? I expect an informed response to this question, from someone in authority.

I also expect that Mango should review its procedures prior to take-off, and ensure this does not happen again. I don’t wish to have to challenge a pilot to do his job.

I can honestly say this was the worst flight and service, the most uncomfortable, I have ever endured and I have flown more than 500 flights in 14 different countries, in the last 8 years.