South African low-cost carrier, Skywise, is still planning to go ahead with the introduction of a low-cost service between Cape Town and Johannesburg, despite experiencing major delays and a few setbacks in launching.
In April, the Department of Transport (DoT) cancelled the airline’s Air Services Licence (ASL) because it had yet to launch flights within a year of the licence being issued. However, Skywise recently challenged the DoT’s decision in court and was successful in obtaining a court order for the ASL to be reinstated.

Andries Ntjane, Deputy Director: licensing and permits of the Department of Transport, said: “Skywise said it was in the final process of launching the airline. We won’t oppose the court order and have reinstated the ASL.”
Skywise CEO, Rodney James, confirmed that the licence had been reinstated but would not provide further details. “We are in the middle of negotiations regarding the structure of the airline and unable to make any comments about Skywise.”
News about the plans to launch Skywise first broke toward the end of 2012, with the airline’s founders hoping to have its flights operational by the first quarter of last year. Rodney previously cited delays in obtaining an Air Operator Certificate from the South African Civil Aviation Authority as one of the main reasons the airline had yet to take off.