LIFT (airline)


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.

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 and Alon Apteker.
The name LIFT was selected after the public were invited to name the airline in a social media campaign. LIFT Airline was selected after being submitted by eight contestants, who agreed to share the main prize of free flights for a year. 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.

Destinations

As of December 2025, Lift serves the following scheduled destinations:
CountryCityAirportNotesRefs
South AfricaCape TownCape Town International Airport
South AfricaDurbanKing Shaka International Airport
South AfricaGeorgeGeorge Airport
South AfricaJohannesburgO. R. Tambo International Airport
RéunionSaint-Pierre Saint-Pierre de la RéunionBegins 26 February 2026

Fleet

As of August 2023, the LIFT fleet consists of six Airbus A320 aircraft: