Aviadev Insight

This episode is an opportunity to understand what we can expect from the upcoming AFRAA AGA taking place in Kampala, Uganda in November 2023. Together we discuss: The African aviation recovery AFRAA’s current priorities Preview of sessions, speakers and topics to be addressed at the AGA What will be on offer for the delegates  Find out more about the AFRAA AGA here Hit that share button to share these insights with someone you feel will benefit from listening and see you for the next episode soon. 

In this episode, we are heading to Germany to meet the CCO of discover airlines an airline delivering a huge number of international tourists to the African continent. In this episode, we discover... The origin story of the airline The current network and how it has been developed The fleet composition and product offering The market composition The rebranding exercise Future African destinations How airports and destinations can influence Discover's planning decisions The Namibian market. Why has it been such a success? You can connect with Helmut on LinkedIn here Visit the discover website Finally, if you enjoyed this episode, don't hesitate to subscribe and never miss another episode.

In this episode, we welcome back a previous guest, Kirby Gordon, Chief Marketing Officer at FlySafair, a low-cost South African airline that is about to embark on a regional expansion launching new routes to Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Mozambique. Together we discuss: Why now is the right time to enter these new markets What is driving the demand on the routes?  How FlySafair expect the routes and load factors to develop and the role local partners will play in this development How AviaDev has supported the conversations around these new route developments The impact of the FlySafair and South African Rugby team strategic partnership on the business Are the immediate plans to continue to expand or consolidate? If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe to never miss another episode.

In this episode, I am joined by flydubai, a very important international airline serving multiple points in Africa, which has just announced a brand new route, taking its African network to 11 destinations in 10 countries. The airline has announced it will serve Mombasa on the east coast of Kenya 4 times per week from January 2024. In this podcast, we hear directly from the airline as to what has prompted this new route announcement and also to get a general feel of FlyDubai’s approach to development in Africa, with Sudhir Sreedharan, Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations at flydubai.  Connect/ Follow Sudhir on LinkedIn here For those listening, you can now head across to our new website www.AviaDev.com to see the theme for our 2024 event and get a flavour of our event plans.  If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a rating to enable us to be found by even more people, and feel free to share the link with someone in your network that you think would benefit from listening.

This episode is the first of a new format that focuses on sub-Saharan African air route development, with a specific focus on routes that are due to start or cease in the next quarter. We also have a rumour mill section focusing on those routes that could be on the horizon. My guest for this podcast is aviation consultant, analyst and commentator, Sean Mendis, who brings over 20 years of experience in the industry, including stints managing airports, commercial airlines, and also cargo airlines in Africa and the Middle East. In this episode, we cover:  Upcoming New Routes in next quarter: Safair to Maputo (4x week), Livingstone (4x week), Harare (daily) and Victoria Falls (3x week) (early October).   ASKY to Nairobi (01 October) (3x week) and has recently launched Luanda (3x week) Uganda Airlines to Lagos (3xweek)  (19th October) / Mumbai (7th October) (3xweek) Flynas from Riyadh and Jeddah 3 x weekly each starting in October Air Peace to Jeddah via Kano from October Other routes announced: Flydubai

In this episode, we travel to the Republic of Angola, in southern Africa where the new Luanda International Airport will soon come online with the ambition to become a major hub for Africa. Ahead of the inauguration, the Ministry of Transport of the Republic of Angola is hosting an online event, on Tuesday 19th September which will offer potential investors an overview of the project itself and associated investment opportunities. To preview the event, it’s a great honour to welcome back a previous guest, Hon Minister Ricardo Viegas d’Abreu, the Minister of Transport of the Republic of Angola. In the episode, we discuss: • How the government views the future management of the major gateway airport to Angola? • Why any potential partners listening should look to invest in Angola? • Why our viewers should attend the event on 19th September and who the event is aimed at? • Who will we hear from during the event and what individual topics will they cover? There will also be an opportunity to arrange private one-t

This episode was recorded on June 16th 2023.  Mr Foster has been instrumental in the growth of Airlink since its inception in 1992. Airlink operates over 50 commercial jetliners operating to more than 45 destinations in 14 African countries and to St Helena Island, making it the largest privately-owned regional airline in Africa. Airlink continues to expand its route network, connecting more African cities and promoting tourism and trade across the continent. We take this opportunity to discuss his journey and passion for the industry with Ato Girma Wake and Sanjeev Gadhia the 2022 award recipient. Moderator: Ato Girma Wake, Patron, AviaDev In conversation with: Sanjeev Gadhia, CEO & Founder, Astral Aviation Linden Birns, Communications Advisor, Airlink

This podcast is a recording of a panel session from June 16th 2023. Together, we discuss what are airlines looking for and how airports can work with their stakeholders to deliver innovative approaches that will ultimately create sustainable route networks.  MODERATOR: Refilwe Ledwaba, Founder, Girls Fly Africa In conversation with: Tim Harris, Partner, Consulum  Nowel Ngala, Director, Commercial & Ground Operations, ASKY Hendrik Du Preez, Vice President Sales - Africa, Qatar Airways Christine Mwakatobe, Managing Director, Kilimnajaro Airports Development Company Minosoa Rakotozafy, Head of Aeronautical Activities, Ravinala Airports If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with someone in your network that you think would benefit from listening

This podcast is a recording of a panel session from June 15th 2023. Join us as we discuss how the OEMs have supported their customers to adapt their strategy to open new routes and deliver new revenue streams during and since the pandemic.  MODERATOR: Aaron Munetsi, CEO, Airlines Association of Southern Africa In conversation with: Dominique Dumas, Vice President Sales Africa & Indian Ocean, ATR Joep Ellers, Airline Marketing Director - Africa, Airbus James Bosse, Director Sales, De Havilland Aircraft of Canada Limited  Raphael Haddad, President, Jetcraft Commercial Stephan Hannemann, VP Sales & Marketing, Head of MEA, Embraer Jason Sutcliffe, Regional Marketing Director, Rolls-Royce

This episode is a recording from June 15th. Join us as we explore the challenges and opportunities facing African airline CEOs as they work to integrate sustainable practices into their operations. Can African airlines prioritize sustainability over profit in the short-term? MODERATOR: Hilka Birns, Aviation Journalist, ch-aviation In conversation with: Jenifer Bamuturaki, Chief Executive Officer , Uganda Airlines Eduardo Fairen, Chief Executive Officer, TAAG  Linden Burns, Communications Advisor, Airlink Allan Kilavuka, Group MD & CEO, Kenya Airways

This is a recording of the AviaDev Africa panel session from June 15th focused on How the latest technological innovations enable the African aviation industry to operate more efficiently and sustainably.  MODERATOR: Habba Hadijah Kamwesiga, Head of Marketing & Communications , RwandAir In conversation with: Richard Ortega, Commercial Director EMEA, Kiu System Solutions Judy Waruiru, Managing Director, DPO Pay  Javed Malik, Chair of the Advisory Board, Ink Innovation Brett Preston, Executive | Aerospace and Aviation, Technodyn International Manish Shrivastava, Co-Founder , Tourish

This is a recording of the session entitled "Creating a winning formula for airport hotels in Africa: Understanding the requirements for success"     Moderator: Trevor Ward, Principal, W Hospitality Group  In conversation with Shamil Manek, Director, The Merwest Company  

In just over 2 weeks, the African aviation industry will convene in Nairobi, Kenya for AviaDev Africa. We have a panel dedicated to discussing new technologies at the event. Post Covid, digitisation is one of the hottest topics in the industry and one of the companies blazing a trail in this space is Technodyn International, which already support a multitude of companies across the aviation value chain. In this episode, we discuss: How Technodyn and IFS are related and what solutions are on offer How Technodyn International Supports the aviation industry The tangible benefits of deploying the IFS solution Understanding the level of technological adoption currently within African aviation The capital investment required to implement the IFS solution To find out more you can visit the Technodyn website here Connect with Brett on LinkedIn Connect with Esenthren on LinkedIn Meet the team at AviaDev in Nairobi 14-16th June 2023 If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with someone in your network that you thin

In this episode, we meet the leader of a true African success story. Since its inception in 2006, DPO Pay has played a vital role in changing the payments landscape across Africa.  Together, we discover how DPO supports its airline customers to process transactions seamlessly and prevent fraud, whilst simplifying the process for the general public and making air travel more accessible.  Find out more about DPO Pay here Connect or follow Judy on LinkedIn here If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with someone in your network that you think would benefit from listening. 

This podcast was recorded 10th May on-site at the AFRAA aviation stakeholders convention in Addis Ababa, where I was joined by Rodger Whittle, The commercial director for Africa at Kiu, a company with a global footprint that offers an innovative and robust Passenger Service system and suite of airline Solutions. Rodger himself has vast African aviation experience and is now leading the charge to support airlines to reduce their cost of distribution. Today’s episode is supported by an article that is featured in the current edition African skies, AFRAA’s magazine which focuses on containing costs affecting airline distribution in Africa.  READ THE ARTICLE HERE Together, we discuss: The current state of airline distribution in Africa  Why Kiu's solutions make sense for Africa Kiu's full suite of solutions Future trends affecting the technology and airline distribution space  You can connect with Rodger via LinkedIn here Find out more about Kiu's solutions here You will also be able to meet Rodger and the team a

This podcast was recorded May 10th in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, during the AFRAA aviation stakeholders convention which was hosted by Ethiopian Airlines. One of the secrets of Ethiopian airlines' success is their drive to constantly innovate and develop. The aviation academy is one example of the group's has diversification and has recently been upgraded to an aviation university.  Together, we talk about how Africa can develop the skills required to support human capital development on the continent. To find out more about the University, you can click here To follow or connect with Kassie on LinkedIn click here If you enjoyed this podcast, please forward it to one person in your network that you think would benefit from listening and we look forward to seeing you at AviaDev Africa in Nairobi this June. 

For this episode, I am joined by Kevin Markette, General Manager, East Africa at the Lufthansa Group. On 2nd May 2023, the group announced a capacity/ schedule increase for Lufthansa, Eurowings Discover, and Brussels airlines in the region. Together, we discuss what has driven this announcement and what this means for the region. You can connect with Kevin on Linkedin here and of course, meet the team at AviaDev Africa 2023 in Nairobi this June.

For this episode, we find ourselves in Nairobi Kenya, where the AviaDev Africa conference will take place in June. Our Host partners for the event are the Kenya Airports Authority, an autonomous body charged with the responsibility of managing all airports across Kenya. They are also the entity that is actively involved in route development, the main focus of AviaDev, namely engaging the airlines to start or expand their services to Kenya’s airports. In this episode, I am joined by Jacob Bwana, Head of Marketing and Business Development at KAA and together we discuss: The post-covid recovery and resurgence. Where KAA sees gaps in the destinations served both within Africa and outside the continent How KAA works with other stakeholders to attract and retain airlines?  The Cargo market opportunity.  Is the market softening or continuing to grow and how is KAA supporting its development? An update on infrastructural development plans within the portfolio? What KAA hopes to achieve from hosting AviaDev Africa in

In this episode, we take a glimpse into the future of how we may travel and how airports and airlines can incorporate innovation to build resilience into their businesses. I am joined by Javed Malik, Chair of the Advisory Board at Ink Innovation. Javed has been a leader in the aviation industry for over 27 years, having held various Group and C-level positions, including Group COO of AirAsia, COO of Bangalore Airport, along with senior roles at Qatar Airways, Worldwide Flight Services and British Airways. Javed leads the INK plus division and his advisory work focuses on ground handling, airline operations and airports worldwide. Together we discuss: What areas are the quick wins that require a limited investment for African airports to focus on? How can airports position themselves to be more attractive to investors?  Examples of real world hardware and software solutions that can quickly and affordably be implemented in Africa What this means for customer behaviour and the adoption of these new technologies

In this episode of the podcast, we dive deep into the current priorities of Ethiopian Airlines, the hosts of the upcoming 11th AFRAA Aviation Stakeholders Convention, scheduled to take place 7-9th May in Addis Ababa.  Together we discuss: How important the African has market been in making ET what it is today and what it will be tomorrow in the face of continued competition The latest news on Ethiopian's partnerships across Africa, especially Nigeria and the DRC. What informed the new development that Ethiopian Aviation Academy will now offer degree courses The overall African aviation industry performance so far in 2023 The key topics and speakers that will join the Stakeholders Convention in May To find out more about the convention, click here