“Flysafair Drops, Doesn’t Land”: SA Traveller Compares Landings of SA Airlines, Mzansi Reacts

• TikToker Mpiloo, a travel creator who claims to have visited over 43 countries, ranked landings of four SA airlines
• Her clip showed Flysafair, Lift, Airlink and SAA touching down differently, with Flysafair singled out for the hardest landings
• Aviation experts and commenters said aircraft design and pilot experience mostly explain why some landings feel rougher than Flysafair’s

Flysafair drew sharp jokes after a TikTok video ranked South African airline landings this week. Travel creator Mpiloo posted the comparison on 16 June 2026, rating Flysafair, Lift, Airlink and SAA.

Flysafair takes the brunt of the jokes

Mpiloo captioned her post South African airlines and their landings on the platform. She placed Flysafair footage first, followed by Lift, Airlink and SAA clips. One commenter joked that Flysafair does not land; it simply arrives hard. Another said Flysafair planes drop rather than touch down on the runway. The joke about Flysafair dropping quickly picked up momentum in the comments.

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Commenters explained the mockery by pointing directly to the aircraft Flysafair flies. Flysafair and Lift Airlines operate mostly Boeing 737 jets on domestic routes. Boeing 737 jets are generally known for firmer touchdowns than Airbus planes.

Aviation sources explain this comes from how ground spoilers deploy on landing. The 737’s spoilers open fully at once, pressing the plane onto the runway. Airbus jets like the A320 release spoilers more gradually for a smoother roll.

SAA relies heavily on Airbus aircraft, which several commenters praised for gentler landings. Airlink flies Embraer jets, which pilots often describe as softer on landings. Some South Africans defended Flysafair, saying landing quality depends on more than aircraft type. Runway length, weather conditions and pilot experience all affect the landing feel. Pilots flying wide-body jets like the A330 tend to have more seniority.

Not everyone online agreed that Flysafair truly deserved the harshest possible criticism. Some commenters said Lift also delivered rough landings despite flying similar aircraft. Others insisted the airline’s affordable fares make up for a bumpy touchdown.

The clip reignited a long-running debate among South African airline passengers online. Briefly News could not independently verify every technical claim made by commenters.

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Watch the comparison below:

Source: Briefly News