South African state airline SA Express faces liquidation

A South African court placed state-owned SA Express under "provisional liquidation" on Tuesday after the airline's administrators said rescue efforts weren't likely to succeed. SA Express, which flies to domestic and regional destinations, entered a form of bankruptcy protection earlier this year after losing a court battle with a contractor, logistics firm Ziegler. It later suspended all operations as the global COVID-19 pandemic caused demand for flights to plunge. The ruling in the Johannesburg High Court means affected parties can still give reasons why the airline shouldn't be liquidated before a final order is made. Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan said: "Government is reviewing its options in all airline assets." SA Express is a separate business to much larger state airline South African Airways, which is also under bankruptcy protection and fighting for its survival.<br/>