FlySafair
FlySafair is a South African low-cost airline operating 186 daily flights across 26 routes and 15 Southern African destinations, serving cost-conscious leisure travellers, corporates, and groups with an unbundled fare model and high on-time performance.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersJohannesburg, South Africa
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What FlySafair does
FlySafair is a privately-held South African low-cost carrier that commenced operations in October 2014 under parent Safair, a 60-year aviation operator. The airline runs 186 daily flights across 26 routes connecting 15 destinations in Southern Africa—nine domestic South African airports plus international points in Mauritius, Zanzibar, Victoria Falls, Harare, and Windhoek. Its operations are built on a single Boeing 737-800 fleet, which underpins a turnaround-driven on-time performance consistently above 94% and a multi-year track record of OAG and Cirium punctuality awards. The platform architecture includes an online booking engine, mobile-responsive check-in, a Manage Booking portal, Zendesk-powered self-service help, and the WhatsApp-based Lindi AI chatbot (in beta).
The revenue model is classic unbundled low-cost: a base "Lite Fare" plus nine ancillary streams including checked baggage (R350/bag), pre-selected seating, priority boarding, Chubb travel insurance, a Temporary Dynamic Fuel Surcharge (R174.80–R694.00 per segment) introduced in March 2026, call-centre/counter service fees (R200), Business Booster and School Booster group programmes, and the Caravelo-powered FlyMore Club monthly subscription plus the FlyMore Auction token bundle platform launched February 2026. Customer segments skew heavily toward cost-conscious leisure travellers (primary), supplemented by corporate travellers, school and sports groups, tour operators, frequent FlyMore subscribers, and inbound tourism flows. The go-to-market is direct-to-consumer across digital, airport-counter, and cash-payment channels (Pick n Pay, Checkers), with travel-agent and GDS distribution for corporate and group bookings.
FlySafair firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- FlySafair
- Legal name
- FlySafair
- Website
- https://flysafair.co.za
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- FlySafair is a South African low-cost airline operating 186 daily flights across 26 routes and 15 Southern African destinations, serving cost-conscious leisure travellers, corporates, and groups with an unbundled fare model and high on-time performance.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
FlySafair industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Passenger Air Transportation
- NAICS
- Scheduled Passenger Air Transportation (481111)
- SIC
- Air Transportation, Scheduled (4512)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Low-Cost Subsidiaries of Full-Service Airline Groups (THABABAE)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- On-Demand Scheduled Commuter (Part 135/Small Aircraft Scheduled) (THABACAN)
Keywords
Where FlySafair is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Johannesburg
- HQ country
- South Africa
- HQ region
- Africa
Offices13 records
Markets served
FlySafair business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Airfare Sales: Core revenue from ticket sales on domestic and international routes across Southern Africa. Low-cost model with base fare plus optional add-ons.
- Checked Baggage Fees: Revenue from optional checked luggage, with fees applied at airport (R350 per bag) or when added to booking. Overweight bags charged R250 penalty.
- Pre-Selected Seating: Revenue from optional seat selection charges for passengers wanting specific seating.
- Priority Boarding: Optional priority boarding service for passengers seeking expedited boarding.
- Travel Insurance: Chubb travel protection insurance offered as an add-on for trip coverage.
- Dynamic Fuel Surcharge: Temporary fuel surcharge introduced March 2026 to offset increased aviation fuel costs. Route-based pricing ranging from R174.80 to R694.00.
- Group Travel Services: Business Booster and School Booster programs for corporate and educational group bookings.
- Call Centre and Booking Fees: R200 service fee for bookings made through call centre or airport ticket sales desks.
- FlyMore Auction: Auction platform selling bundles of 10 flight tokens with floor price of R9000, generating upfront token revenue.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Lite Fare - Base ticket with hand luggage included |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Dynamic Fuel Surcharge - Route-based surcharge |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Checked Baggage - Optional add-on |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Service Fees - Counter and Call Centre charges |
| Subscription | Monthly | FlyMore Subscription - Monthly membership |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | FlyMore Auction - Bundle of 10 flight tokens |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Autobid Feature - Automatic auction bidding |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels7 records
Marketing channels10 records
FlySafair product offering
Product offeringCore offering
FlySafair is a South African low-cost airline operating 186 daily flights across 26 routes connecting 15 domestic and regional destinations in Southern Africa (including Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, Mauritius, Zanzibar, Victoria Falls, Harare, and Windhoek). The carrier sells unbundled base fares with optional paid add-ons (checked baggage, seat selection, priority boarding, insurance) and distributes via its website, call centre, airport counters, and travel agents. Ancillary revenue products include the FlyMore Club monthly subscription and the FlyMore Auction platform for bundled flight tokens.
Product overview
FlySafair is a South African low-cost airline operating as a single integrated platform combining core airline booking and travel management with a comprehensive suite of add-on services. The core product consists of the airline's flight operations spanning 15 domestic and international destinations, supported by digital services including the Online Booking Platform, Online Check-In, and Manage Booking portal. Add-on modules include paid extras such as Checked Luggage, Pre-Selected Seating, Priority Boarding, Travel Protection (Chubb insurance), Special Assistance, Unaccompanied Minors service, and Group Travel options (Business Booster, School Booster). The FlyMore Club subscription and FlyMore Auction programs offer innovative ways to access discounted flights through Caravelo-powered subscriptions and token-based auctions. Customer service is delivered through a combination of the Zendesk-powered help center, WhatsApp support, and the Lindi AI chatbot (beta). Partner services include BidAir Cargo PetLounge for pet transport and First Car Rental for ground transportation. The airline is recognized for its on-time performance, tracked and published through its OTP reporting service.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- FlyMore Club: A subscription loyalty program offering monthly free flights for a set fee, plus special offers and preferential pricing for members.
- FlyMore Auction
- FlyMore
- Lite Fare
Products and services
- FlySafair Domestic and Regional Flight Service
- Checked Luggage
- Pre-Selected Seating
- Priority Boarding
- Travel Protection Insurance
- Special Assistance Service
- Unaccompanied Minors Service
- FlyMore Club Subscription
- FlyMore Auction
- Business Booster
- School Booster
- Group Travel Booking
Quantifiable outcome
- 94.14% on-time performance achieved June 2026
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use FlySafair
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles6 records
FlySafair technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration10 records
AI capability2 records
Feature5 records
FlySafair partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Discovery VitalitycoreLoyalty partner offering Discovery Vitality travel benefits to members, providing discounted flights as part of wellness rewards program.
- BidAir Cargo PetLoungeminorPet travel partner handling cargo transport for pets, managing pet travel delays and customer communication for pet shipping services.
- First Car RentalminorCar rental partner providing vehicle hire services to FlySafair passengers as part of travel package offerings.
- CaravelocoreTechnology provider for FlyMore subscription program, enabling monthly flight subscription service with Caravelo-powered platform.
- PayUcorePayment gateway partner providing secure credit card processing with SSL encryption, 3D Secure, and fraud detection for online bookings.
- OzowcoreInstant EFT payment solution allowing secure payments from any online bank account without registration or app download.
- ChubbminorInsurance partner providing Chubb Baggage Insurance and Chubb Travel Insurance products offered as optional add-ons.
- Proteas CricketcoreOfficial Domestic Carrier of Proteas Cricket team, providing travel services for the South African national cricket team.
- Springboks RugbycoreOfficial Domestic Carrier of The Springboks rugby team, providing travel services for the South African national rugby team.
- IATAcoreFull IOSA (IATA Operational Safety Audit) accreditation - the foremost safety accreditation in global aviation, demonstrating compliance with international safety standards.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
FlySafair competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Kulula.com: South African low-cost carrier operated by British Airways (Comair), directly competing with FlySafair on domestic South African routes with a similar low-fare, unbundled pricing model and overlapping city pairs (Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban).
- Lift Airline: Newer South African low-cost carrier founded by former Kulula executives, operating domestic routes from Johannesburg and Cape Town with an unbundled fare model and digital-first booking experience, directly challenging FlySafair's domestic share.
- Mango Airlines: South African state-linked low-cost carrier (SAA subsidiary historically) that competed directly with FlySafair on domestic routes until ceasing operations in 2021; remains a relevant comparable as a potential re-entrant in the SA LCC market.
Broad incumbents
- Ryanair: Europe's largest ultra-low-cost carrier, widely seen as the operating model benchmark for LCCs globally. Comparable on business model (unbundled fares, ancillary revenue, single fleet type, aggressive cost discipline, digital-first) rather than geography.
- Airlink: Largest independent regional airline in Southern Africa, operating a broad domestic and regional network under the SAA franchise historically. Comparable as a major scheduled operator in the same geographies, though with a regional/full-service positioning rather than low-cost.
- AirAsia: Global benchmark low-cost carrier operating single-fleet Boeing 737/A320 networks across Asia with a similar unbundled pricing, ancillary revenue, and digital-first distribution model. Comparable as a strategic LCC template for what FlySafair's FlyMore subscription/auction innovations could achieve at scale.
- FlySafair (Safair parent operations): Safair is FlySafair's parent company and a South African aviation group with 60 years of history operating cargo, charter, and scheduled services. While Safair operates broader aviation services including freighter operations, the group relationship makes it the closest incumbent comparable.
Regional players
- Air Mauritius: National carrier of Mauritius and one of FlySafair's international destinations. Comparable as an African-flag carrier serving overlapping routes between Southern Africa and Indian Ocean leisure destinations, though with a full-service rather than low-cost model.
- Fastjet: African low-cost carrier that operated in Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa before scaling back. Comparable as an LCC peer operating in African markets with similar cost-conscious leisure traveler segments, though now a diminished competitor.
- CemAir: South African regional airline operating scheduled and charter services primarily on thinner domestic and cross-border routes (Limpopo, North West, Botswana). Comparable as a privately-held regional operator in the same Southern African market with overlapping underserved routes.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
FlySafair social profiles
Digital presenceFlySafair financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
FlySafair leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
FlySafair funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
FlySafair M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about FlySafair
What does FlySafair do?
FlySafair is a South African low-cost airline operating 186 daily flights across 26 routes connecting 15 domestic and regional destinations in Southern Africa (including Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, Mauritius, Zanzibar, Victoria Falls, Harare, and Windhoek). The carrier sells unbundled base fares with optional paid add-ons (checked baggage, seat selection, priority boarding, insurance) and distributes via its website, call centre, airport counters, and travel agents. Ancillary revenue products include the FlyMore Club monthly subscription and the FlyMore Auction platform for bundled flight tokens.
Is FlySafair a public or private company?
FlySafair is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was FlySafair founded?
FlySafair was founded in 2014. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is FlySafair based?
FlySafair is headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa, in the Africa region.
How does FlySafair make money?
Nine revenue lines are on record. Airfare Sales are the primary driver. The others are checked Baggage Fees, pre-Selected Seating, priority Boarding, travel Insurance, dynamic Fuel Surcharge, group Travel Services, call Centre and Booking Fees and flyMore Auction.
Who are FlySafair's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Kulula.com, Lift Airline and Mango Airlines. Broad incumbents are Ryanair, Airlink, AirAsia and FlySafair (Safair parent operations). Regional players are Air Mauritius, Fastjet and CemAir.
Does FlySafair have an API?
No public API is recorded for FlySafair.
What industry is FlySafair in?
FlySafair's product category is Passenger Air Transportation. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THABABAE, Low-Cost Subsidiaries of Full-Service Airline Groups, with a secondary code of THABACAN, On-Demand Scheduled Commuter (Part 135/Small Aircraft Scheduled). Its NAICS code is 481111 and its SIC code is 4512.