Low-cost domestic carrier Lift celebrated its first flight on the Johannesburg-Durban route on Wednesday, October 26, further cementing its entry into the South African market.
The airline now runs a thrice-daily service between the two cities, a development that has been warmly welcomed by provincial tourism officials.
"The launch of Lift’s air services to Durban is a welcome addition to King Shaka International Airport, improving the much-needed capacity on one of South Africa's most popular routes, Durban- Johannesburg,” said Siboniso Duma, KwaZulu Natal MEC for Economic Development, Tourism & Environmental Affairs.
"As KwaZulu Natal, we aim to continue working with our airline partners to drive sustainability and stability in the market to ensure that air travel remains accessible for the benefit of all our stakeholders."
Mxolisi Kaunda, Mayor of eThekwini Municipality (home to Durban), said domestic airlines played a significant role in driving the recovery and rebuilding efforts of South Africa's local aviation industry, ensuring that it continued to benefit business and leisure travel.
"For any city to compete on a global stage, it is crucial to have a vibrant and competitive aviation industry because it facilitates international trade and drives rapid growth in tourism. We are pleased that this launch takes place at the time when the city is implementing its summer season campaign. We have no doubt that this will contribute immensely to our efforts of attracting more than 900 000 visitors to the city during the festive season."
CEO and co-founder of Lift, Jonathan Ayache added: “It’s no secret that Durban has had its fair share of struggles over the past two years and we are just so proud and happy to play a small part in bringing back travel and tourism to such a deserving city. Durban is one of the most common requests we receive on social media and has been on our radar for a while and, for that, we couldn’t be more excited.”
As of August 2022, King Shaka International Airport's traffic volumes had recovered to 61% of pre-pandemic levels.
“With Lift entering the market we would like to see this development stimulate travel and accelerate traffic volumes," said Hamish Erskine, CEO of Dube TradePort Special Economic Zone and Co-chair of air access initiative Durban Direct.
