LIFT (airline)
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![]() An active LIFT Airbus A320-231, with the registration ZS-GAO | |||||||
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| Founded | 2020 | ||||||
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Commenced operations | 10 December 2020 | ||||||
| Hubs | O. R. Tambo International Airport[1] | ||||||
| Fleet size | 6[2] | ||||||
| Destinations | 3[1][3] | ||||||
| Parent company | Global Airways | ||||||
| Headquarters | Cape Town, South Africa | ||||||
| Key people |
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| Website | www | ||||||
LIFT (sometimes stylized in lowercase, and officially Global Aviation Operations), is a South African airline, based in Cape Town.
The company currently operates travel on 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]
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, a South African-based ACMI specialist that operates Airbus A320 & A340 aircraft. Other founder investors include entrepreneurs Rael Levitt[4] and Alon Apteker.[5]
The name LIFT was selected after the public were invited to name the airline in a social media campaign.[6][7][8] LIFT Airline was selected after being submitted by eight contestants, who agreed to share the main prize of free flights for a year.[9] 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.[10][11][9]
Destinations
As of December 2025, Lift serves the following scheduled destinations:[3][1]
| Country | City | Airport | Notes | Refs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Africa | Cape Town | Cape Town International Airport | [3] | |
| Durban | King Shaka International Airport | [12][3] | ||
| George | George Airport | Terminated | ||
| Johannesburg | O. R. Tambo International Airport | Hub | [3] | |
| Réunion | Saint-Pierre | Saint-Pierre de la Réunion | Begins 26 February 2026 | [13] |
Fleet
As of August 2023, the LIFT fleet consists of six Airbus A320 aircraft, and has an additional four on order.[2]
| Aircraft | In service | Orders | Passengers | Notes | Refs | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | Y | Total | ||||||
| Airbus A320-200 | 6 | 4 | 12 | 150 | 162 | operated by Global Airways | ||
| Total | 6 | 4 | — | |||||
See also
- Airlink, a South African regional airline.
- South African Airways, Flag national carrier of South Africa.
- FlySafair, a South African low-cost airline.
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 ch-aviation.com - Lift Airlines Archived 12 November 2022 at the Wayback Machine retrieved 12 November 2022
- 1 2 Lorne Philpot (14 May 2026). "Lift Airline expands fleet in bid to scale up operations". Sustainability in the Sky. Retrieved 21 May 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 lift.co.za - Schedule Archived 12 November 2022 at the Wayback Machine retrieved 12 November 2022
- ↑ Denise Mhlanga, Denise (22 March 2022). "Inospace in R1.25bn last-mile logistics joint venture with Fortress". BusinessLIVE. Archived from the original on 1 April 2022. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ↑ "Alon Apteker". Avante-Garde. Archived from the original on 23 May 2023. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
- ↑ "Brand New Airline". Archived from the original on 16 November 2020.
- ↑ "You Can Name South Africa's Newest Airline". Archived from the original on 1 November 2020.
- ↑ "New SA Airline to be named by public here's your chance to be famous". Archived from the original on 5 November 2020.
- 1 2 "SA's 'new airline' now has a name – beating these comical suggestions". Archived from the original on 1 November 2020.
- ↑ "SA's Newest Airline Finally Has a Name". Archived from the original on 1 November 2020.
- ↑ "Lift - About Us". Archived from the original on 10 December 2020. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
- ↑ "Lift launches new route, expands flights in South Africa". 22 September 2022. Archived from the original on 22 September 2022. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
- ↑ "New international route announced for Durban airport". Northglen News. The Citizen. 12 December 2025. Retrieved 11 May 2026.

