A new low-cost South African airline is set to launch on December 10, 2020 ‒ just in time for the holiday season.

Global aviation downturn did not spook the aviation industry novice called Lift. The joint venture between former Uber executive Jonathan Ayache, Kulula-founder Gidon Novick and  CEO of Global Aviation Quentin Tomaselli will start off with two domestic routes flying from Johannesburg to Cape Town and George. The airline will be lifting three Airbus A320-200 aircraft.

The carrier’s chosen route Johannesburg to Cape Town is one of the busiest routes both domestically and globally. On it, the new airline will offer  as many as four flights  per day. The second Lift’s leisure-related route Johannesburg to George will only have daily departures.

The airline stands out with its developed flexible model where flights and routes can be added quickly, given the demand. New Lift’s flexible model will allow travelers to change or cancel flights without being charged. The main idea is to operate Lift in a similar way to Uber taxis, leaning upon scheduled flight popularity and demand.

“Similar to the way Uber has transformed the point-to-point mobility, there is a huge opportunity for the airline industry to rethink its relationship with passengers and be more customer-obsessed,” explained Novick.

Remarkably, the new airline gained its name through a public online competition where 25,000 suggestions were introduced.Ultimately, the decision was made and the Lift won the public social media campaign. The eight winners, who reportedly brought their contribution, got a year’s free travel on the Lift Airlines.