The Western Cape Province, City of Cape Town and Wesgro, the official Tourism, Trade and Investment Promotion Agency for Cape Town and the Western Cape, welcome the new opportunities that South Africa’s brand-new airline, LIFT, offers South Africans visiting the magnificent Cape region.
Founded by aviation stalwart and Kulula founder, Gidon Novick and former Uber Head of Operations, Jonathan Ayache, the airline officially launched its domestic flights on 10 December 2020 and will be flying in and out of Cape Town 7 days a week.
LIFT, which has been seeing huge demand in ticket sales aims to offer a flexible, modern, customer-focussed approach to mobility, to make air travel more efficient and hassle-free. According to Ayache, “We want to demonstrate that South Africa can continue to grow, open more doors and create jobs, while keeping customers at the centre of our operations. We know we can create another great tourism driver. We live in the most beautiful country with an abundance of talented people so we have all the ingredients we need to make it happen.”
Not only will the airline be delivering tourists and business travellers to the scenic Cape region, but it will also include another novel treat for travellers on afternoon flights by presenting curated wine-tasting experiences that feature a selection of South Africa’s top Cape wineries. In all aspects, the airline will be tapping into local partnerships to provide various offerings from real coffee and snacks from Vida e Caffe, to fashion; with the LIFT ground and cabin crew being kitted out by Superbalist. Not only will this create an experience tailored for both our unique South African customer tastes, but also it allows international travellers to get a further taste of South Africa.
“South Africans already have a lot of uncertainty and added stress, why should travel plans be a part of this? We’re placing customer needs front and centre and we’re focusing on flexibility. Flights can be changed multiple times or cancelled, to be saved as a credit into the LIFT wallet. Changes made 24 hours or more in advance‚ come at no additional fees or penalties. You can even hop on an earlier flight should you get to the airport early, at no extra charge, if one is available. This is just the start and we look forward to welcoming South African’s to the new way of travel,” said co-founder Gidon Novick.
While many may think it is crazy starting an airline while the industry is enduring a torrid time due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the partners and investors disagree and believe the airline is vital, even during these unprecedented times.
“We celebrate this new airline at our airport, a beacon of hope at this time and certainly a great value proposition to travellers. We remain committed to playing our part in ensuring the highest levels of service. Added to this we continue to protect the well-being of passengers and airport staff by having stringent safety measures in place so that all can safely navigate our airport,” said Deon Cloete, General Manager - Cape Town International Airport
David Maynier, Minister of Finance and Economic Opportunities, said: “We welcome the announcement that South Africa’s brand-new airline, LIFT, will be flying frequently in and out of Cape Town so that more people can experience the best that Cape Town and the Western Cape have to offer. The more we can continue to expand air connectivity to the region, the more we can expand opportunity for people, creating more jobs and growing the economy in the Western Cape.”
Alderman James Vos, Mayoral Committee Member of Economic Opportunities and Asset Management, commented: " The aviation economy is a crucial driver of economic growth. Connectivity forms part of the City’s Tourism Development Framework and our objective is to connect Cape Town with key destinations in Africa and globally. Connecting Cape Town to more cities and countries creates more jobs through tourism and also provides trade opportunities to export more proudly Cape Town products to the rest of the world. Together with our strategic business partners, we are implementing recovery plans for this crucial sector and have renewed funding for the successful Cape Town Air Access initiative, to ensure we get the aviation sector back on its feet."
Innovative and unique flights to Cape Town offer travelers more diverse travel options:
LIFT is operated by local Airbus A320 leasing company Global Aviation Operations, which provides the commercial‚ marketing and customer service expertise, helping to improve the experience for both customers and crew.
The airline operates a fleet of 4th generation Airbus A320 aircraft, which is one of the most technologically advanced aircraft in the skies, with full fly-by-wire digital control systems and glass cockpit display technology. It is also fitted with the most modern safety systems onboard including a Flight Envelope Protection System and a Category 3B Auto-land certification -- allowing for safe landings in poor visibility conditions.
For flight bookings or to learn more about LIFT, go to: https://www.lift.co.za/
“We are a region of unlimited potential, and this translates into unlimited opportunity for business and development. We are grateful for further flights into our hub, and all efforts to bolster investment, supporting and growing trade and tourism in the Western Cape Province,” concluded Wesgro CEO, Tim Harris.