Bookings for the Johannesburg – Durban route are now open and the first flights will start operating on 26 October 2022 with three return flights per day. Booking dates for the Cape Town – Durban route will be confirmed in the coming weeks, with flights expected to operate from November.
In addition to the new route, Lift will be increasing its flight frequency between Johannesburg and Cape Town with up to 14 flights per day.
“We couldn’t be more excited to add Durban to our list of destinations, it’s one of the most common requests we receive on social media and has been on our radar for a while,” said Lift CEO and co-founder, Jonathan Ayache.
“We’re also adding four aircraft to our fleet which has been done using flexible capacity and can easily be increased or decreased based on demand. This growth in our fleet and new routes will create more than 100 new jobs before the end of the year.
“It’s been a challenging two years but looking ahead we expect the market to recover to pre-pandemic levels in late 2023 and for a second year in a row we will be doubling our seat capacity,” added Ayache.
Perks that Lift’s Durban travelers can look forward to include complimentary snacks, coffee from Vida e Cafe, flexible flight changes with unlimited penalty-free changes, no cancellation fees, and quick and easy refunds into your Lift wallet. Lift also offers selected dog-friendly flights. Business class travelers can explore the ‘Lift Premium’ offering.
The new flights to Durban have been welcomed by key stakeholders from KwaZulu-Natal as a crucial competitive addition to the route.
The Mayor of Durban, CLLR Mxolisi Kaunda said, “This is great news for Durban. Lift’s launch and an additional domestic airline in traveling to Durban is critical for tourism and will support those wanting to visit over the coming festive season. We warmly welcome Lift as it will unlock domestic tourism.”