Mango Airlines has decided to join the FIFA Soccer World Cup initiative and reduce its airfares with between R300 and R1000 over World Cup period. The OC lauds the airline’s initiative to increase affordable flight capacity over the tournament.

Yesterday, South African low cost airline Mango announced that it will make available 40 000 all-inclusive flights priced at R 299 to R 649 over the World Cup period. This is a significant reduction from the April 2010 prices of R1100 - R1758 for an one-way ticket from Johannesburg to Cape Town.

The fares, available from 1 March, follows a conversation on the affordability of air travel over the tournament period between Mango CEO, Nico Bezuidenhout, and 2010 FIFA World Cup Organising Committee South Africa (OC) CEO, Danny Jordaan, at the UNTWO Summit on Travel, Sport and Mega-Events in Sandton.

As a contribution to the success of the FIFA Soccer World Cup and in answer to the concerns about the costs of air travel, Mango discounted fares even further. "It is the responsibility of every South African, in particular the travel industry, to showcase South Africa at an affordable price.”

Rich Mkhondo, Chief Communication Officer of the OC welcomes the initiative, saying that it is imperative that all role players in the travel and hospitality industry remain mindful of developing attractive and affordable products for both tourists and South Africans during the tournament.

“It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for South Africans to seed significant future growth in the domestic tourism sector," says Mkhondo. "The OC supports any initiative that ultimately makes a positive contribution to the success of the event and beyond.”