Durban, South Africa: At a pre-launch event held at Dube TradePort on the evening of 11 December 2025, Mr Daniel Rosenzweig from Lift Airlines outlined the company’s strategy to connect Durban and Réunion Island, with flights commencing on 26 February 2026. Mr Rosenzweig stated:
“We are going to Mauritius, but that is in June; Réunion is first. We are going to make both routes work. We started Lift in 90 days, and now we are launching our first international route in 75 days. The support and energy among the Durban and Réunion teams have been fantastic, and as a South African, I am proud to be part of the team that is making this happen.” Endorsing the event, Dr. Nkosenye Zulu, Head of Department for Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs (KZN), said:
“Every new international connection brings increased tourist arrivals and new opportunities for exporters, especially given the air cargo facility operated by Dube TradePort here at King Shaka International Airport. It also creates business-to-business linkages in aviation, hospitality, logistics, and beyond.
We are confident that this new route will stimulate two-way flows of tourism traffic, strengthen trade in goods and services, and support investment opportunities between our regions, particularly in sectors such as agriculture, manufacturing, green energy, and the creative industries.”
