LIFT (airline)
South African low-cost airline
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
LIFT is a South African airline, based in Cape Town. LIFT currently offers domestic routes from a hub at O. R. Tambo International Airport, Johannesburg, using a fleet of Airbus A320 aircraft that are operated by Global Airways.[1]
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 An active LIFT Airbus A320-231, with the registration ZS-GAO | |||||||
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| Founded | 2020 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commenced operations | 10 December 2020 | ||||||
| Hubs | O. R. Tambo International Airport[1] | ||||||
| Fleet size | 6[citation needed] | ||||||
| Destinations | 3[1][2] | ||||||
| Parent company | Global Airways | ||||||
| Headquarters | Cape Town, South Africa | ||||||
| Key people |
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| Website | www | ||||||
History
LIFT was established in October 2020 and commenced operations on December 10, 2020. LIFT is a joint venture between former Comair CEO Gidon Novick, former Uber executive Jonathan Ayache, and Global Airways,[citation needed] a South African-based ACMI specialist that operates Airbus A320 & A340 aircraft. Other founder investors include entrepreneurs Rael Levitt[3] and Alon Apteker.[4]
The name LIFT was selected after the public were invited to name the airline in a social media campaign.[5][6][7] LIFT Airline was selected after being submitted by eight contestants, who agreed to share the main prize of free flights for a year.[8] Their names are inscribed on the body of the first three aircraft in the fleet. The airline's name was revealed on October 29, 2020.[9][10][8]
Destinations
As of December 2025, Lift serves the following scheduled destinations:[2][1]
| Country | City | Airport | Notes | Refs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Africa | Cape Town | Cape Town International Airport | [2] | |
| Durban | King Shaka International Airport | [11][2] | ||
| George | George Airport | Terminated | ||
| Johannesburg | O. R. Tambo International Airport | Hub | [2] | |
| Réunion | Saint-Pierre | Saint-Pierre de la Réunion | Begins 26 February 2026 | [12] |
Fleet
As of August 2023, the LIFT fleet consists of six Airbus A320 aircraft:
| Aircraft | In service | Orders | Passengers | Notes | Refs | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | Y | Total | ||||||
| Airbus A320-200 | 6 | 1 | 12 | 150 | 162 | operated by Global Airways | ||
| Total | 6 | 1 | — | |||||
See also
- Airlink, a South African regional airline.
- South African Airways, Flag national carrier of South Africa.
- FlySafair, a South African low-cost airline.
