Tag Archives: Lift Airlines
DISNEY AFRICA BRINGS FESTIVE CHEER FOR LIFT TRAVELLERS
The video can be viewed here: https://youtu.be/8q9l-0EF9mQ
JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA (13 DECEMBER, 2023) – The Walt Disney Company Africa’s #MayYourWishesComeTrue campaign continued the festive celebrations this December with a special surprise-and-delight activation aboard the Disney-inspired LIFT airplane.
Over 150 passengers, traveling from Johannesburg to Cape Town were welcomed by “Wish Agents” at their boarding gate at OR Tambo International Airport on 1 December, with each child asked what their wish for Christmas was. With their wishes adorning a special Disney-inspired Christmas tree, the young passengers boarded flight GE123, unaware that a mere two hours later those wishes would be fulfilled.
Behind the scenes the requests were communicated to Disney’s Wish Agents, on standby at Canal Walk Shopping Centre in Cape Town, who swung into action to shop up a storm, wrap the gifts and transport them to Cape Town International Airport in time for the passengers to disembark.
From bicycles, “Disney Princess The Little Mermaid” figurines, Lego® sets to even Spider-man Sony PlayStation 5’s, all the requested wishes came true as passengers disembarked the plane and entered the specially-branded walkway to meet the Wish Agents. In addition, each traveler was gifted a Disney Mickey plush and a subscription to Disney+.
Comments Christine Service, Senior Vice President and General Manager of The Walt Disney Company Africa: “To mark our 100th year anniversary, The Walt Disney Company has been celebrating the fans and storytellers who have sparked the joy and magic that embodies Disney for over 100 years. What better way to cap our year-long celebrations than with this wonderful festive moment, inspired by our “May Your Wishes Come True” campaign.”
“At LIFT we’re all about elevating our travellers’ experiences, and witnessing the pure joy which resulted from this activation was nothing short of spectacular. On behalf of all of us at LIFT, I’d like to thank The Walt Disney Company Africa team for making our passengers’ wishes come true. Our partnership with Disney has been magical and we’re pleased we can bring a sense of fun, wonder, and excitement for the whole family over the holiday period, as we continue to fly our co-branded celebratory aircraft and spoil kids with Disney activity packs”, says Jonathan Ayache, LIFT CEO.
The magical moment kicked off LIFT’s 12 days of Christmas, continuing the festive surprises for all passengers.
For more information, please contact:
For The Walt Disney Company Africa:
Luane Lavery
PR Manager: Disney+ and Studios
For LIFT:
Jessica Gois
Strategic Communications Consultant
About LIFT:
LIFT is operated by Global Aviation Operations (Pty) LTD trading as LIFT. LIFT flights currently operate between Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban. Global Aviation Operations has been a provider of ACMI (aircraft, crew, maintenance and insurance) services to airlines, locally and internationally since 2001 and is the largest dedicated ACMI specialist in South and Sub-Saharan Africa.
LIFT operates a fleet of Airbus A320 Aircraft, state-of-the-art 4th generation with fly-by-wire control systems, Flight Envelope safety protection and 3B Auto-land certification that allows for safe landings in poor visibility conditions.
About The Walt Disney Company EMEA:
The Walt Disney Company has been in Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) for over 80 years and employs thousands across the region. Between Disneyland Paris and its other iconic brands, including Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic, 20th Century Studios and ESPN, The Walt Disney Company EMEA entertains, informs and inspires millions of consumers in more than 130 countries through the power of unparalleled storytelling. Disney+, the company’s direct-to-consumer streaming service, is currently available in 60 markets across EMEA.
About Disney Parks, Experiences and Products:
Disney Parks, Experiences and Products brings the magic of The Walt Disney Company’s powerful brands and franchises—including Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, ESPN, 20th Century Fox and National Geographic—into the daily lives of families and fans around the world to create magical memories that last a lifetime. When Walt Disney opened Disneyland in Anaheim, California, on July 17, 1955, he created a unique destination built around storytelling and immersive experiences, ushering in a new era of family entertainment. More than 65 years later, Disney has grown into one of the world’s leading providers of family travel and leisure experiences, with iconic businesses including six resort destinations with 12 theme parks and 52 resorts in the United States, Europe, and Asia; a top-rated cruise line with four ships and plans for three more ; a luxurious family beach resort in Hawai‘i; a popular vacation ownership program; and an award-winning guided family adventure business. Disney’s global consumer products operations include the world’s leading licensing business; the world’s largest children’s publishing brands; one of the world’s largest licensors of games across all platforms; Disney store locations around the world; and the shopDisney e-commerce platform.
May Your Wishes Come True
The Walt Disney Company Africa and LIFT unveiled a co-branded celebratory aircraft livery to kick-off Disney’s biggest festive campaign to date in South Africa, “May Your Wishes Come True”.
The livery features some of the most iconic and memorable characters from Disney, MARVEL and Star WarsTM, including: Disney’s Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Moana, Black Panther, GroguTM, Elsa, Spidey. A brand new character also makes an appearance, Asha, from Walt Disney Animation Studios’ upcoming “Wish”, which releases in cinemas nationwide from 22 November. The Disney inspired plane (tail number ZS-GAS) will appear in South African skies and at airports from 20 October and service routes between Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban.
On board, customers can expect special Disney and LIFT surprises, as well as kiddies activity packs to make flying with little ones a breeze during the busy holiday season, with giveaways and more treats. The excitement won’t stop there, because LIFT has additional surprises between 1 and 12 December for lucky travelers on select flights, as South Africans get ready for the festive season.
Fans and travellers who spot or travel on the Disney-inspired Plane can share their pics on social media, using the hashtag #DisneyandLIFT and tagging @DisneyAfrica and @LIFT__SA.
Says Christine Service, Senior Vice President and General Manager of The Walt Disney Company Africa: “To mark our 100th year anniversary (16 October 2023), The Walt Disney Company is celebrating the fans and storytellers who have sparked the joy and magic that embodies Disney over the last century. We hope that this exciting and unique collaboration with LIFT will bring delight to travellers of all ages this holiday season as we mark this milestone anniversary.”
Says Luke Roberts, General Manager, Consumer Products, Games and Publishing, The Walt Disney Company Africa; “Rolling out in stores nationwide from November, “May Your Wishes Come True” is Disney’s biggest retail campaign to date. With the holiday season approaching and “Wish” releasing in cinemas nationwide from 24 November, we are inspired by the universal truth of wishing to be together at this special time. This collaboration with LIFT truly celebrates this togetherness with families and fans.”
Says Jonathan Ayache, CEO of LIFT.: “As a beloved family brand, Disney is a perfect fit for LIFT. With our new livery, together we celebrate the love, magic and family togetherness that signals the festive season. We’re proud to link arms with Disney, through this collaboration, our hope is to ignite a sense of fun, wonder and excitement for the whole family during the upcoming season of school holidays and family celebrations.”
Customers can visit www.lift.co.za to book flights and stand a chance of flying on the #DisneyandLIFT aircraft. Travellers aboard the airline will continue to enjoy all the perks LIFT has to offer including complimentary snacks, coffee from vida e caffè and extra-friendly service from the stylish cabin crew. LIFT has flexible flight changes with unlimited penalty-free changes and no cancellation fees up to 24 hours before departure.
From November, Disney’s “May Your Wishes Come True” will offer the perfect opportunity to stock up on those gifts for every member of the family – from stocking fillers, toys, apparel, books and so much more – featuring the very latest and greatest from Disney, Pixar, Marvel and Star Wars. With much more to share, this festive season is set to be an unforgettable one as we wish together for the holidays.
About LIFT:
LIFT is operated by Global Aviation Operations (Pty) LTD trading as LIFT. LIFT flights currently operate between Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban. Global Aviation Operations has been a provider of ACMI (aircraft, crew, maintenance and insurance) services to airlines, locally and internationally since 2001 and is the largest dedicated ACMI specialist in South and Sub-Saharan Africa.
LIFT operates a fleet of Airbus A320 Aircraft, state-of-the-art 4th generation with fly-by-wire control systems, Flight Envelope safety protection and 3B Auto-land certification that allows for safe landings in poor visibility conditions.
About The Walt Disney Company EMEA:
The Walt Disney Company has been in Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) for over 80 years and employs thousands across the region. Between Disneyland Paris and its other iconic brands, including Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic, 20th Century Studios and ESPN, The Walt Disney Company EMEA entertains, informs and inspires millions of consumers in more than 130 countries through the power of unparalleled storytelling. Disney+, the company’s direct-to-consumer streaming service, is currently available in 60 markets across EMEA.
About Disney Parks, Experiences and Products:
Disney Parks, Experiences and Products brings the magic of The Walt Disney Company’s powerful brands and franchises—including Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, ESPN, 20th Century Fox and National Geographic—into the daily lives of families and fans around the world to create magical memories that last a lifetime. When Walt Disney opened Disneyland in Anaheim, California, on July 17, 1955, he created a unique destination built around storytelling and immersive experiences, ushering in a new era of family entertainment. More than 65 years later, Disney has grown into one of the world’s leading providers of family travel and leisure experiences, with iconic businesses including six resort destinations with 12 theme parks and 52 resorts in the United States, Europe, and Asia; a top-rated cruise line with four ships and plans for three more; a luxurious family beach resort in Hawai‘i; a popular vacation ownership program; and an award-winning guided family adventure business. Disney’s global consumer products operations include the world’s leading licensing business; the world’s largest children’s publishing brands; one of the world’s largest licensors of games across all platforms; Disney store locations around the world; and the shopDisney e-commerce platform.
About the Aircraft used – AIRBUS A320 – MSN 76 – ZS-GAS
| Serial number | 76 |
| Type | 320-231 |
| First flight date | 25/09/1989 |
| Test registration | F-WWIS |
| Plane age | 34.1 years |
| Seat configuration | Unknown |
| Hex code | 008FFB |
| Engines | 2 x IAE V2500-A1 |
| Status | Active |
Click on a photo below to enlarge
Photos by Aviation Central and ZCMC Media
Meet Elizabeth Mapatle – Flight attendant to Pilot training
Meet Elizabeth Mapatle- who went from Lift Airlines flight attendant to pilot in training
Elizabeth Mapatle’s love for aviation started as a little girl when her father would take her and her siblings to the then Jan Smuts Airport to watch planes take off and land. “It was amazing to watch these magnificent machines take to the sky and what was even more mind-blowing and exciting was knowing that there were real people flying them. That’s where the seed was planted for me,” recalls Mapatle. Now at age 39, Elizabeth has completed her private pilot license and is well on the way to becoming a commercial pilot.
According to 2020 figures published by A3 Flight School in South Africa, only 5% of airline pilots and 3% of airline CEOs are female. “Flight decks are still dominated by males, even with private pilot license acquisitions – women are few and far between,” adds Mapatle. With 11 years in the aviation industry, Mapatle believes there is a lot more room for women and girls to get excited about flying.
As a flight attendant at LIFT airline, Mapatle balances getting in her flight hours with working as a cabin crew on LIFT’s domestic flights between Johannesburg to Cape Town.
Asked how the experience has been, Mapatle is clear that flying planes requires dedication. “Since I work, I need to create time, I currently have 100 hours left until I complete my commercial license.” Another consideration is the costs that go with it. However, if you can manage the costs and time needed then not even the sky’s the limit says Mapatle.
“Flying offers me an escape. When I am up there, I forget about all my problems – it’s really therapeutic,” she says. After completing her commercial license qualification, Mapatle would like to study further and pursue her Airline transport license so that she can one day become a captain.” There are several opportunities when looking to enter the aviation industry and unlike previous misconceptions, you don’t have to have Maths and Science if you are able to pay for your lessons without a scholarship,” she adds.
Mapatle studied travel and tourism and when she completed this qualification, she became a flight attendant and did her research to find a reputable flight school to pursue her dream. “I went to Rand Airport in Germiston. Finding the finances was challenging but I decided never to take no for an answer, and pursued my dream to fly.” Mapatle encourages other young girls and women who have the flight bug – to go for it. Her advice is to disregard some of the negative comments you’re likely to hear from some who don’t think women are capable of flying. “Don’t take it personally or seriously, just go for what you want,” she says. Finding support from other female pilot students and colleagues has been very beneficial to her too. “I have a group of women who offer me that support. These are mothers and other working women who are pursuing similar goals and I too am always open to offer advice to other women looking to enter the aviation sector,“ she says.
Her dreams for the future include flying commercially – whether airlines or private jets and freelancing as a drone pilot too. That’s not all, Mapatle also plans to pursue her LLB since law is another passion and possibly merge the two by pursuing an aviation law degree.
