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.”
Cllr Philisiwe Ndlovu, Deputy Chairperson of the Economic Development Cluster, eThekwini Municipality, added:
“This is a milestone for aviation and tourism in Durban and KwaZulu-Natal at large, as we celebrate the pre-launch of the new air service between King Shaka International Airport and Saint-Pierre, Pierrefonds Airport in Réunion Island. The KwaZulu-Natal Route Development Committee has worked tirelessly with Lift Airlines and national partners to realise this achievement. The new route will not only unlock easier travel for business and leisure but also support the city’s strategic global positioning, which anchors Durban as a resilient, sustainable gateway into Africa.”
Hamish Erskine, CEO of Dube TradePort and co-chair of Durban Direct, concluded:
“This is a truly exciting development for the province, the prospect of opening a new route into Réunion Island and capitalising on the leisure market there, as well as reopening a direct Durban route into Mauritius, something that has been highly anticipated by the KZN market for the past five years.”
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For media inquiries, please contact:
Vincent Zwane
Marketing and Communications Manager
vincent.zwane@dubetradeport.co.za
0611281759
About Durban Direct:
Durban Direct is a committee responsible for route development at Durban’s King Shaka International Airport in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
Durban Direct members include:
KwaZulu-Natal Department of Economic Development, Tourism & Environmental Affairs, South African Tourism, Tourism KwaZulu-Natal, Durban Tourism, Trade and Investment KwaZulu-Natal, Invest Durban, Enterprise Ilembe, Dube TradePort Special Economic Zone, Airports Company South Africa and Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife.
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