Scores of passengers were left stranded when the airline announced on Friday that it had applied for liquidation

Those 1time customers who booked their tickets through Absa and Standard Bank will get refunds, the Sunday Independent reports.

“In order to make customers’ lives easier, we can confirm that all 1time purchases made with Absa-issued cards will be refunded,” Absa’s Arrie Rautenbach was quoted as saying.

Standard Bank spokesman Ross Linstrom told the paper their customers who had used debit, credit, or cheque cards to buy tickets should lodge a dispute with the bank and ask for the transaction to be reversed.

According to the paper, FNB announced through its Twitter page it was willing to reverse transactions, but only if customers completed a dispute form and had a valid receipt from 1time.

Nedbank cardholders could apply for a chargeback, within 60 days, if they had purchased a 1Time ticket on their credit cards, or on their American Express cards, spokeswoman Soneni Phiri said in a statement.

Scores of passengers were left stranded when the low-cost airline announced on Friday that it had applied for liquidation and stopped all operations.

It had about R320 million in short-term debt and had been in negotiations with creditors since March.

1Time chief executive Blacky Komani said in the company’s statement on Friday: “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”.

The Airports Company SA (Acsa) said the decision by 1Time airline to file for liquidation and ground all of its flights was sad and regrettable.

“We have been working very closely with 1Time over the years and this a very sad time for everyone involved,” spokesman Solomon Makgale said in a statement.  

He said Acsa had an agreement with 1Time to put the airline on cash terms as a way of ensuring that the airline’s debt did not escalate further.

“Although this was the case, [this] decision by 1Time was solely theirs. Acsa had been engaging 1Time’s business rescue practitioner, along with other creditors,” Makgale said. “It is regrettable that no final business rescue plan was put before the creditors for consideration.” 

The Democratic Alliance said that SA Airways (SAA) must offer discounted flights to stranded 1Time passengers.

“As the long-time beneficiary of generous government support...SAA should do everything it can to assist 1Time passengers, and we strongly encourage them to offer discounted flight options to stranded 1Time travellers,” DA MP Natasha Michael said in a statement.  

She said the liquidation proved that private airlines could not compete with their state-funded counterparts.  

“Does every privately funded domestic airline have to shut down before government admits that the funding model for the national carrier is killing the aviation industry?” Michael asked.  

Comair chief executive Erik Venter said 10 out of 11 private airlines launched in South Africa since the industry was deregulated in 1991 had failed. 

“Due to the less efficient fleet it operated, the ultimate closure of 1Time was inevitable,” he said in a statement.

“However, 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.” 

He said Comair would have to put up resistance to “unfair competition” from SAA and Mango.  

“This is not new to us... we have been dealing with this for most of our history.” 

Mango chief executive Nico Bezuidenhout said the airline regretted the liquidation.  

“While we may have been competitors, the liquidation of 1Time is not good news. Not only does it impact the families of employees but also thousands of people with confirmed travel across the country and the aviation sector as a whole,” Bezuidenhout said. “Everyone at Mango’s hearts go out to our friends and industry colleagues at 1Time.”