LIFT (airline)

LIFT
An active LIFT Airbus A320-231, with the registration ZS-GAO
IATA ICAO Call sign
GE[1] GBB[1] GLOBE[1]
Founded2020
Commenced operations
10 December 2020 (2020-12-10)
HubsO. R. Tambo International Airport[1]
Fleet size6[2]
Destinations3[1][3]
Parent companyGlobal Airways
HeadquartersCape Town, South Africa
Key people
  • Cilliers Jordaan - Commercial Director


Websitewww.lift.co.za

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

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 ch-aviation.com - Lift Airlines Archived 12 November 2022 at the Wayback Machine retrieved 12 November 2022
  2. 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.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 lift.co.za - Schedule Archived 12 November 2022 at the Wayback Machine retrieved 12 November 2022
  4. ↑ 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)
  5. ↑ "Alon Apteker". Avante-Garde. Archived from the original on 23 May 2023. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
  6. ↑ "Brand New Airline". Archived from the original on 16 November 2020.
  7. ↑ "You Can Name South Africa's Newest Airline". Archived from the original on 1 November 2020.
  8. ↑ "New SA Airline to be named by public here's your chance to be famous". Archived from the original on 5 November 2020.
  9. 1 2 "SA's 'new airline' now has a name – beating these comical suggestions". Archived from the original on 1 November 2020.
  10. ↑ "SA's Newest Airline Finally Has a Name". Archived from the original on 1 November 2020.
  11. ↑ "Lift - About Us". Archived from the original on 10 December 2020. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
  12. ↑ "Lift launches new route, expands flights in South Africa". 22 September 2022. Archived from the original on 22 September 2022. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
  13. ↑ "New international route announced for Durban airport". Northglen News. The Citizen. 12 December 2025. Retrieved 11 May 2026.