Lift starts flying today

[Jamie McKane]

Lift starts flying today

South Africa’s new domestic airline Lift started flying on two routes today - Johannesburg to Cape Town, and Johannesburg to George.

Lift is a collaboration between Global Aviation, Kulula founder Gidon Novick, and ex-Uber executive Jonathan Ayache.

 

[Binary_Bark]

........ Incoming SAA strike and more billions of taxpayer money wasted on SAA

 

[CeeBee]

good to have some competition, better for consumers.... but one would hope that the 'biggest value' would be a bit more than the ease to cancel/change flights? how often do people change flights, that it can be a big selling point?
I guess these guys didn't want to touch SAA to bring some relief there, and away from tax payer... not that one can blame them, but I suppose government would not agree to break up SAA... less benefit to the comrades?

 

[Herr der Verboten]

came for flying lifts. instead its just another airline. disappointment.

 

[SilverCode]

good to have some competition, better for consumers.... but one would hope that the 'biggest value' would be a bit more than the ease to cancel/change flights? how often do people change flights, that it can be a big selling point?
I guess these guys didn't want to touch SAA to bring some relief there, and away from tax payer... not that one can blame them, but I suppose government would not agree to break up SAA... less benefit to the comrades?

Judging by the Vidá coffee and wine tasting I can only think their target market is hipsters or socialite business people. The former probably don't have any money to fly, so the latter is most likely, and business people tend to chop and change their flights quite a lot as meetings get shifted around or run over time etc.

Why business people would want to fly to George though I have no idea.

 

[Fjorko]

Why business people would want to fly to George though I have no idea.

Wait... let me guess. You are from Joburg right?

 

[RandomGeek]

Judging by the Vidá coffee and wine tasting I can only think their target market is hipsters or socialite business people. The former probably don't have any money to fly, so the latter is most likely, and business people tend to chop and change their flights quite a lot as meetings get shifted around or run over time etc.

Why business people would want to fly to George though I have no idea.

Plenty of well-off people in Joburg having very nice holiday homes in the George/Knysna area

 

[Mystic Twilight]

Plenty of well-off people in Joburg having very nice holiday homes in the George/Knysna area

Yea but how many and how often do those well off people travel to their holiday homes? Once a day? Once a week? Once a month? Low cost airlines rely on volume, so there has to be a high amount of traffic to george to generate revenue and turn a profit. Maybe the market analysis said it was profitable, but the revenue stream is probably fragile.

 

[Willie Trombone]

Yea but how many and how often do those well off people travel to their holiday homes? Once a day? Once a week? Once a month? Low cost airlines rely on volume, so there has to be a high amount of traffic to george to generate revenue and turn a profit. Maybe the market analysis said it was profitable, but the revenue stream is probably fragile.

Business is a little more complicated than that. Competition is also a factor.
And they can up their prices if competition is scarce.

 

[SilverCode]

Wait... let me guess. You are from Joburg right?

Hell no. I actively avoid going to Joburg any way I can. The comment was more about there being not much of a business environment in George to attract a significant number of business people to justify a route there when I would think one of the other larger metros would make more sense.

 

[Willie Trombone]

Hell no. I actively avoid going to Joburg any way I can. The comment was more about there being not much of a business environment in George to attract a significant number of business people to justify a route there when I would think one of the other larger metros would make more sense.

There are businesses in George service by providers in JHB. Do you expect them to drive?

 

[RandomGeek]

Yea but how many and how often do those well off people travel to their holiday homes? Once a day? Once a week? Once a month? Low cost airlines rely on volume, so there has to be a high amount of traffic to george to generate revenue and turn a profit. Maybe the market analysis said it was profitable, but the revenue stream is probably fragile.

All true; and lack of international tourists will also negatively affect the routes into George for sure. But I'm sure they did a proper market analysis before committing to the route, they would not have done it if the numbers were not compelling.

And on another point, in my mind all local flights are now done by "Low cost airlines", so if you have to fly somewhere your options are quite limited

 

[JacquesD]

Using the oldest A320s still flying. Their first A320 is registered as ZS-GAO, a 31.4-year-old aircraft. Global Aviation South Africa operates 7 x of the oldest A320s in the world. ZS-GAO, GAL, GAR, GAS, GAZ, GAW, GAP.

Enjoy your flight!

 

[friedpiggy]

So they fly to George but not Durban? An interesting concept, if they are reliant on volume that is.

 

[ToxicBunny]

So they fly to George but not Durban? An interesting concept, if they are reliant on volume that is.

My thoughts as well.

I mean George needs a flight to JHB without a doubt... but for a new airline I would have expected them to target the high volume routes first.

Then again, Novick has built a successful airline once before so he knows what he's doing.

 

[ilikepi]

Using the oldest A320s still flying. Their first A320 is registered as ZS-GAO, a 31.4-year-old aircraft. Global Aviation South Africa operates 7 x of the oldest A320s in the world. ZS-GAO, GAL, GAR, GAS, GAZ, GAW, GAP.

Enjoy your flight!

Came here to say this :-/

Let's hope their service is better than some of the other airlines (ie SAA), also, just don't kill people and you should be good :-D

 

[Vorastra]

came for flying lifts. instead its just another airline. disappointment.

ngl, I honestly thought it was Lyft that were now offering those mini helicopter drone taxi flights.

Using the oldest A320s still flying. Their first A320 is registered as ZS-GAO, a 31.4-year-old aircraft. Global Aviation South Africa operates 7 x of the oldest A320s in the world. ZS-GAO, GAL, GAR, GAS, GAZ, GAW, GAP.

Enjoy your flight!

That means literally nothing. You realise planes are maintained and go through constant recertification and retrofitting throughout their lifetime.

Came here to say this :-/

Let's hope their service is better than some of the other airlines (ie SAA), also, just don't kill people and you should be good :-D

As long as proper maintenance has been done, there's literally no issue with how old the plane is.

 

[Herr der Verboten]

ngl, I honestly thought it was Lyft that were now offering those mini helicopter drone taxi flights.

 

[ilikepi]

ngl, I honestly thought it was Lyft that were now offering those mini helicopter drone taxi flights.


That means literally nothing. You realise planes are maintained and go through constant recertification and retrofitting throughout their lifetime.


As long as proper maintenance has been done, there's literally no issue with how old the plane is.

That is mostly my concern tbh, the proper maintenance part....

 

[Vorastra]

That is mostly my concern tbh, the proper maintenance part....

If they risk cutting on maintenance, which leads to a crash and deaths, their heads would roll. Never mind that their license would be revoked and they'd be barred from the airline industry.
South African carriers seem to have a good reputation for maintenance. Yes, before you say it, I am taking the SAA Technical scandal into account.