In October 2022, LIFT removed the anxiety of Durbanites being “marooned” when it introduced flights connecting KZN with Johannesburg and Cape Town. KZN INVEST spoke to Jonathan Ayache, the CEO of the new kid on the block in South Africa’s domestic airline business.
LIFT was started in 2020 during Covid and spectacularly moved 350 000 people in its first year, doubled that number in its second year, and expects to double that again in 2023.
The company – founded by former Kulula CEO Gidon Novick and Ayache – originally targeted the lucrative Johannesburg to Cape Town route, which accounts for 50% of South Africa’s domestic airline market.
It runs 15 flights a day between Cape Town and Johannesburg, and adding Durban has completed what Ayache describes as the “golden triangle”, as well as adding another 25% in volume.
While LIFT doesn’t share specific load factors, he said: “It is still early days, but the routes out of Durban are doing really well. The flights are full, and our team does a great job of marketing them. One of the things that was most requested on our social media channels was for flights out of Durban – so we responded to their requests.”
LIFT runs two Cape Town to Durban return flights a day, and five Durban to Johannesburg return flights. In 2023 LIFT is on track to reach its 1,5-million passengers through smart airplane leases and customer innovation.
Ayache says LIFT is taking a “prudent approach” to business. The domestic aviation industry in South Africa is back up to 80% of pre-Covid levels, according to data from Airports Company South Africa.
“We’re building up slowly. We had an incredibly warm reception to the Durban flights, because people there felt neglected by the fact that airlines had pulled out of the city. There is a Cinderella sentiment, and we believe our impact has been significant, which we don’t take lightly.
“To run a successful business we have to do it sustainably. Travel and tourism is such an economic driver, and connecting people is integral to growing the economy.
“But this industry is very fragile. Oversupply and excess capacity can break the market. Big airlines come and go, as Durban has seen. So, we need to be careful with the supply-demand balance. In the long run, we have to be viable, and we hope others act responsibly in this space because that translates into a healthy aviation sector that supports the economy.”
Ayache says LIFT’s focus has been on customer service.
“Our approach has been very simple. How can we improve the overall experience of flying domestically? We don’t charge people if they want to change their bookings. Other airlines are punitive about that which really frustrates people. But beyond that, we concentrate on the small things, from the staff who help you with a smile. All that is very deliberate with us. We want your entire experience with LIFT to be what differentiates us from our competitors, across multiple touchpoints. Our goal is to be the preferred domestic airline, not the cheapest.”
Ayache says the LIFT’s market reception has been “a real privilege”, not least, he adds, because staff and partners including “exceptionally talented and very experienced aviation” specialists were available to LIFT as a result of the demise of Comair and the problems at SAA.