By Lonwabo Mtyeku – GP News Media, Community Newsroom
Johannesburg, South Africa – October 2025
In an era where artificial intelligence (AI) and automation are reshaping industries, FlySafair has quietly but decisively positioned itself as South Africa’s most technologically progressive airline — not by chasing trends, but by centering people at the heart of its digital evolution.
The airline’s 11-year journey from startup disruptor to industry benchmark has been driven by a deceptively simple philosophy: technology should make human work better, not redundant. Through its agentic AI systems, self-service innovation, and culture of “digital obsession,” FlySafair is proving that operational excellence and human empathy can coexist in the age of automation.
Digitally Obsessed: A Culture, Not a Campaign
Kirby Gordon, Chief Marketing Officer at FlySafair, describes the airline’s philosophy as being “digitally obsessed.” It’s a phrase that goes beyond branding — it encapsulates a cultural mindset shared across the organisation.
“Our CIO, Eswee Vorster, always reminds us that technology isn’t just something IT does,” says Gordon. “It’s how the whole organisation operates.”
This approach integrates two critical priorities: backend efficiency and passenger-facing simplicity. Rather than developing them as isolated goals, FlySafair treats them as mutually reinforcing systems. Each innovation that simplifies internal operations also enhances passenger autonomy, while each customer-facing tool pushes the airline to rethink its processes from the inside out.
The Power of AI with a Human Touch
FlySafair’s AI journey has been deliberate and deeply human-centred. The introduction of LINDI, its AI-powered customer service assistant, in May 2025, was a milestone in this evolution. LINDI — a digital entity designed with distinctly human warmth and tone — now assists customers with booking changes, seat selections, cancellations, and FAQs.
But LINDI’s true achievement lies in how it has reshaped human work within the company.
While AI manages high-volume, repetitive interactions, human agents have transitioned into roles that demand empathy, judgment, and complex problem-solving. “We wanted to position AI as a collaborator, not a competitor,” Gordon explains. “The goal was to eliminate low-value work, not meaningful work.”
Since launch, LINDI has handled 1,664 bookings, processed 943 flight changes, and managed hundreds of seat and personal detail modifications — while freeing up thousands of agent hours for cases that truly need the human touch.
This collaboration between human and machine reflects FlySafair’s broader principle: technology should enhance human potential, not erase it.
Automation That Lifts, Not Replaces
At the heart of FlySafair’s digital backbone lies its robotic process automation (RPA) network, affectionately named Hercules — a nod to the cargo aircraft that helped build the airline’s legacy. These systems operate invisibly, automating complex backend functions such as group bookings and billing reconciliation.
Each Hercules robot performs in minutes what once required hours of manual input. Yet the real impact extends beyond speed — it’s about consistency, scalability, and resilience. By standardising operations through automation, FlySafair has built a structure that can flexibly scale with new routes, partners, and market demands without sacrificing precision.
This architecture allows the airline to maintain its reputation as the world’s most on-time low-cost carrier, while also delivering the affordability and reliability its brand promises.
Self-Service, Self-Empowerment
FlySafair’s digital transformation is perhaps most visible in its Manage My Booking platform — a system that redefines how passengers interact with air travel.
Gone are the days of lengthy call queues and rigid booking systems. Today, passengers can split itineraries, change segments, add passengers, or redeem vouchers entirely online.
The results are staggering: over 11,000 calls per month have been diverted from FlySafair’s contact centre. But rather than leading to job cuts, this shift has freed call centre staff to focus on complex and emotionally sensitive cases — a rare example of digital efficiency improving both productivity and job satisfaction.
The addition of Auto Check-In Intelligence further underscores the airline’s attention to real-world use. If a passenger cancels a change after checking out, the system automatically checks them back into their original flight — a small, intelligent safeguard that has already saved 1,325 travellers from missing flights.
A Data-Driven Growth Story
FlySafair’s embrace of technology is not innovation for its own sake — it’s strategy in motion. In just 18 months, the airline has added eight new Boeing 737-800s, launched six new domestic routes, and introduced international service between Cape Town and Windhoek — all supported by its robust data infrastructure.
By leveraging predictive analytics, AI-based maintenance, and smart routing, FlySafair has not only increased capacity but also strengthened its operational resilience.
The numbers tell the story: 37 aircraft, 1,250 weekly flights, and 230,000 seats per week, serving a network that continues to expand while maintaining world-class punctuality.
Ethics, Empathy, and Experimentation
Perhaps the most profound insight from FlySafair’s digital journey is its human-first governance philosophy.
“AI isn’t something to fear; it’s something to guide,” says Gordon. “That means co-creating its use with the people it affects.”
FlySafair fosters trust through open communication, staff workshops, and playful experimentation. Employees are encouraged to use generative AI tools to draft reports, brainstorm marketing ideas, or improve workflows. These informal “AI show-and-tell” sessions have become incubators of innovation — grassroots labs where technology meets human creativity.
Even the act of naming AI systems — LINDI, Hercules — carries meaning. By giving digital systems human or heritage-inspired identities, the airline symbolically integrates them into its organisational culture.
Setting a New Standard for the African Skies
As AI and automation reshape global aviation, FlySafair’s approach offers a distinctly African perspective on digital transformation — one grounded in pragmatism, empowerment, and ubuntu.
“Innovation at FlySafair has never been about replacing people,” says Gordon. “It’s about giving them the tools to work smarter, focus on what matters, and continue delivering exceptional service to our customers.”
In doing so, FlySafair isn’t just keeping pace with global aviation trends — it’s defining the blueprint for human-centric innovation in emerging markets.
As the airline looks ahead to its twelfth year, one truth remains clear: being “digitally obsessed” isn’t about machines. It’s about people — and building technology that helps them soar.