AviaDev Insight Africa

This episode explores how Washington Dulles International Airport is positioning itself as a key gateway between Africa and the United States.

Featuring insights from Ariana McKnire, Director of Airline Business Development, Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, the discussion covers route development, market opportunities, and the strategic importance of Washington's demographic and geographic advantages in African aviation connectivity.

CHAPTERS

00:00 - Introduction to Washington Dulles as a US-African gateway

01:38 - Demographics and market size in Washington DC

05:09 - Business climate and travel demand

08:31 - Focus on unserved routes and development prospects

12:21 - Connecting unserved African markets

14:52 - South African Airways' re-entry plans

16:46 - AviaDev and strategic partnerships

19:10 - Ariana's approach to route development

20:12 - Airport and airline collaboration for connectivity

21:15 - Final thoughts and upcoming events

Resources & Links:

Aviadev Africa: https://www.aviadev.com

Airbus Market Analysis Report https://www.airbus.com/en/about-us/our-worldwide-presence/airbus-in-africa-and-the-middle-east/airbus-in-africa

Washington Dulles International Airport https://www.mwaa.com/

Connect with Ariana

In this episode of the AviaDev Insight Africa podcast, we delve into the strategies African airports can adopt to enhance non-aeronautical revenues and attract investment.

Save the below infographic for more insights and join us at AviaDev in Botswana for further discussions.

Hosted by Jon Howell, this episode features insights from Nelly Alandou, Jody Appollis, and Adam Ekman Pedersen of the NACO team.

Discover how African airports can diversify revenue streams and become economic hubs.

Chapters:

0:00 - Introduction

01:21 - Meet the NACO Team

02:42 - Revenue Stream diversification

04:17 - Non-Aeronautical Revenue opportunities for airports

06:18 - Real Estate Opportunities for Airports

08:28 - Economic Feasibility and Investment

11:15 - Network Positioning and Connectivity

14:37 - Land Use Planning Challenges

17:23 - Governance and Economic Infrastructure

22:26 - Upcoming Aviadev Panel Discussion

If you enjoyed this episode, please like, subscribe, and share to help spread the word about the rising opportunities in African aviation.

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Welcome to the May 2026 AviaDev Connectivity Update! Join host Jon Howell, Founder and CEO of AviaDev Africa, joined by Regular Guests and Aviation Consultants, Sean Mendis and Behramjee Ghadially as they dive into the latest developments in African aviation.

TOPICS:

00:00 - Introduction and Overview

01:28 - Virgin Atlantic doubles down on South Africa

04:16 - KLM quietly grows Cape Town capacity

08:43 - South African Airways: new CEO, fresh cuts

16:56 - Airlink launches Cape Town–Zanzibar nonstop

25:27 - Turkish Airlines slashes African routes

35:43 - Qatar Airways' Return to Africa

39.24 - Air Tanzania's big ambitions

51:58 - Uganda Airlines' Operational Challenges

58:43 - Kenya Airways: what's new and next?

66:05 - Jambojet's low-cost regional push

76:16 - Air Botswana's Operational Issues

81:57 - Africa World Airlines eyes Conakry

83:54 - Ethiopian Airlines expands globally/ Air Congo's rapid expansion in the DRC/ Malawi Airlines adds Lubumbashi

93:49 - Air Peace cuts long-haul, buys narrowbodies

103:28 - United Nigeria eyes Johannesburg (exclusive)

106:29 - Air Côte d'Ivoire's Johannesburg Route

In the 30th edition of the AviaDev Africa Connectivity Update, host Jon Howell is joined by usual guests, Aviation Consultants Sean Mendis and Behramjee Ghadially to review the biggest stories impacting African aviation

00:00 Welcome

02:33 Africa Market Pulse and impacts of the Iran War

13:12 Etihad's 6 new routes for Africa. Behramjee's take

24:22 Sean's take on Etihad's expansion

42:48 Uganda Airlines fleet and route update

46:28 SalamAir's new routes to Kigali and Mogadishu

52:16 ASKY Hints at a new Route

01:00:01 Turkish Airlines Boosts Mauritius frequencies

01:04:30 Ethiopian Eyes Mauritius

01:07:04 Air Tanzania to Seychelles update and reflections

01:10:46 Ethiopian increases Moscow service and firms aircraft order

01:16:30 Ethiopian's Gulf Recovery

01:18:10 The reality of Air Congo's Expansion

01:24:33 SAA leadership changes amidst audit fallout

01:29:27 Kenya Airways Bailout Rules

01:32:01 Air Peace new routes

01:40:43 Wrap Up and farewell

In this episode, Jon Howell hosts Jonathan Appiah of Air Ghana to explain the airline's background, ownership and strategy amid strong interest from attending delegates ahead of AviaDev.

Jonathan recounts his move from HR into commercial aviation at Africa World Airlines and his route-development experience.

He clarifies Air Ghana is a 100% Ghanaian-owned private company, with global cargo partnerships, a Ghanaian AOC and designation as a national cargo airline, investments in cold-chain/perishables, and leadership in the Ghana Airport Cargo Centre. We dive into Air Ghana's plans to launch domestic passenger services to address capacity and fare issues, targeting late 2026 or early 2027.

00:00 Intro

01:54 Jonathan's Aviation Journey

05:44 What is Air Ghana and what is it not?

10:43 Air Ghana's passenger airline plans

15:20 Why choose a Boeing 737?

18:01 Airport Infrastructure improvements

23:20 The operating environment in Ghana

29:11 Air Ghana's AviaDev Goals

34:17 Closing

In this episode, we host Capt. Thuto Toise, the newly appointed CEO of the Civil Aviation Authority of Botswana, to discuss Botswana's aviation ambitions and its strategic decision to host AviaDev Africa 2026. Capt. Toise explains how improved air connectivity can drive economic growth through tourism, trade, investment, and regional integration, and why bringing airlines and decision-makers to Botswana enables meaningful route-development discussions. He outlines the Botswana Air Access initiative, launched in August 2024, which unites CAAB, tourism and hospitality bodies, travel agencies, investment authorities, and Air Botswana to deliver a coordinated, data-driven approach including incentives, market intelligence, and joint marketing. They explore priorities such as stronger domestic networks, expanded links to Africa, and direct long-haul services, while highlighting Botswana's unique landscapes, culture, and hospitality for visiting delegates.

01:08 Meet Captain Toise

02:24 Why Host AviaDev 2026?

05:05 An introduction to Botswana Air Access

07:00 Botswana's Air Connectivity Priorities

10:10 Botswana's Pitch to Airlines

13:20 The delegate experience in Botswana

16:39 Closing

In this episode, host Jon Howell hosts IATA's Regional VP for Africa and the Middle East, Kamil Al-Awadhi, to discuss why SAATM has seen little progress since its 2018 signing, citing state protectionism, limited collaboration, and slow decision-making across ministries. They explore the economics of operating airlines in Africa, including fuel accounting for about 30–35% of airline costs and being around 17% higher in Africa, plus rising airport, airspace, and API/PNR charges that can add up to $50 per leg and deter tourism. Al-Awadhi describes IATA's advocacy efforts, claiming about 75% success in reducing or stopping fee increases, and argues that Africa does not have too many airlines, but needs better intra-African connectivity and partnerships. They preview the IATA Focus Africa event in Addis Ababa (29–30 April), highlighting SAATM discussions and two safety initiatives aimed at reducing Africa's higher accident rate.

00:00 Welcome and episode preview

01:05 Meet Kamil Al-Awadhi

02:05 SAATM progress and frustrations

06:12 IATA's role in convincing African governments to open their skies

11:34 The ongoing bilateral grind and headwinds impacting airlines

13:53 High operating costs in Africa: fuel, taxes and fees and where IATA is making progress

19:29 IATA's work to push back on new charges

21:12 Airline partnerships and market fragmentation

26:09 Focus Africa goals and safety push

28:38 Who should attend Focus Africa and closing remarks

Find out more about Focus Africa

In the March 2026 AviDev Africa connectivity update, host Jon Howell and consultants Sean Mendis and Behramjee Ghadially discuss how the Iran war and GCC corridor disruption are reshaping Africa-related air travel, creating short-term transit gains for Ethiopian, Kenya Airways, Uganda Airlines and Air Peace but driving major fare increases, insurance constraints, and severe jet-fuel supply-chain risks that could lead to rationing and technical stops.

They review Ethiopian's schedule changes and debate the Atlanta restart, analyze Kenya Airways' Gatwick increase alongside worsening financial results, and detail Uganda Airlines' operational crisis, leadership changes, and wet-leased Ethiopian 787 operations.

The episode also critiques Air Tanzania's planned Seychelles launch, covers Air Seychelles' wet-lease adjustments, notes Air Transat postponing Toronto–Accra, highlights Africa World Airlines' move to Embraer 190s, summarizes Air Peace's West Africa network retiming and Caribbean resumption, and discusses Enugu Air's AOC transition and ambitious fleet-growth claims.

00:00 March Update Kickoff

02:40 The Impact of the Iran war on Africa

05:04 Fuel Supply Crunch and impact

10:00 Fare and Load Factor Shock

20:43 How will Gulf Carriers react?

31:23 Kenya Airways Gatwick Boost

35:06 Kenya Airways Results And Outlook

42:10 Ethiopian Airlines to launch Atlanta Debate

44:24 Uganda Airlines Turmoil

51:58 Air Tanzania Seychelles Route

57:07 Indigo XLR Pivot to Africa

01:04:48 Indigo Strategy and Leadership Shift

01:09:43 Air Seychelles Wet Lease

01:16:25 Air Transat Shelves Toronto - Accra route

01:20:12 Africa World Airlines Adds E190

01:23:55 Air Peace Regional Network Shakeup

01:33:12 Enugu Air Fleet Growth

01:37:47 Wrap Up and Next Episode

In this episode of AviaDev Insight Africa, we speak to Rahsaan Johnson, former Managing Director of Global Communications at Delta, with 13 years at United, about what "brand" means for airlines and why it drives profitability and resilience.

Johnson defines brand as the emotions and adjectives customers associate with an airline, shaped by reputation and lived experience, and argues the foundation of a strong airline brand is "clean, safe, reliable."

He explains how a strong brand increases the willingness to pay among schedule-sensitive travelers, and why African airlines should build brands even on monopoly routes, because competition often arrives with liberalization.

00:00 Welcome and Setup

00:47 Meet Rahsaan Johnson

01:44 What Brand Means

04:18 Building Strong Brands

06:43 Brand Drives Revenue

09:54 Why Brand Matters Africa

14:43 Common Brand Mistakes

16:01 Boarding Friction Story

19:48 Stress Before Takeoff

20:18 Customer First Decisions

21:05 Gate Anxiety Explained

22:18 United App Reduces Stress

25:43 Feedback and NPS Surveys

27:26 Modern Digital Expectations

29:08 Values and Emotional Connection

30:44 Positioning for Everyone

32:42 Sponsorships Without Polarizing

34:26 Segmenting Products Profitably

37:02 Setting Expectations Over Time

38:42 Wrap Up and Farewell

CONNECT WITH RAHSAAN

This a special podcast episode recorded on 6th March 2026 as part of the Board of Airline Representatives of South Africa Annual Conference.

In the episode, Professor Mohale argues Africa's economic and aviation story is often told by outsiders, calling for Africans to own the narrative and emphasizing leadership defined by vision, courage, and integrity.

The discussion contrasts management and leadership, critiques reliance on bureaucracy as a refuge from accountability, and highlights how colonial-era boundaries and continued dependence undermine African prosperity and unity.

Erskine frames bureaucracy as a tool of power that can stifle agility, urges regional and continental integration, as evidence of benefits from opening skies and trade.

00:00 Welcome and Setup

00:29 Meet the Guests

02:39 Live Session Begins

04:48 Who Tells Africas Story?

09:47 Leadership Gap and Reset

14:52 Leadership vs Management

21:13 Bureaucracy and Ownership

25:13 Open Skies Proof Points

27:28 Integration Beyond Borders

33:02 Regional Integration Lessons

36:20 Closing Takeaways

In this episode, we explore the innovative journey of ValueJet, a Nigerian airline that has recently introduced Viki, the first AI concierge in Africa.

Temi Adjijola, the head of business program and IT at Value Jet, discusses the airline's mission to make flying accessible to more people in Nigeria, where air travel is still underutilized. Joining Temi is Rodger Whittle, Commercial Director and Juan Felipe Restrepo, Chief Product Officer at KIU System Solutions who created Viki and provide over 70 airlines worldwide with a comprehensive, cloud-based, AI-powered suite of IT services for airlines, focusing on Passenger Service Systems (PSS), Departure Control Systems (DCS), and a proprietary Global Distribution System (GDS).

The conversation delves into the challenges faced by the airline industry in Nigeria, the adoption of technology to enhance customer experience, and the significant role of AI in streamlining operations and improving service delivery.

The guests also share insights on the future of AI in aviation, including potential applications in customer service, operational efficiency, and revenue management.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Value Jet and AI Concierge

06:42 Value Jet's Business Model and Market Positioning

12:45 The Role of AI in Enhancing Customer Experience

20:22 Industry Feedback and Adoption of AI Solutions

28:06 Future Applications of AI in Aviation

38:53 Expansion Plans and Strategic Growth for Value Jet

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*Subscribe to our mailing list to never miss another episode and stay up to date with event news: https://www.aviadev.com/keep-me-updated

In this episode, we cover the latest route and fleet developments in African aviation.

Clarification on the FlySafair sale

Uganda Airlines - management changes, fleet changes, route changes

Kenya Airways next steps. Can they secure an investor/ partner? - both Singapore and Qatar have denied interest

Ethiopian update (adding a 4th daily Dubai, second daily Bamako - Dakar, cutting Nacala)

Air Congo regional expansion - speculation on Europe?

Eswatini Air to add Lusaka to their Harare service

QR cutting KGL frequencies

United Nigeria Airlines - update on fleet and potential routes

Air India orders A321XLRs - Africa bound?

Connect with Behramjee

Connect with Sean

In this episode, Host Jon Howell sits down with Theo Wensink, Head of Airline Marketing, Middle East and Africa at Embraer to discuss the "Connecting Africa" report which premiered at AviaDev Africa 2025.

Providing commentary and insight into the findings are regular podcast contributors, aviation consultants Sean Mendis and Behramjee Ghadially.

Together, they explore why the report was created, the methodology, and then we count down the top unserved routes from 10 to 1, identifying which have the best chance of being served and by whom.

Download the report here

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CONNECT WITH SEAN

CONNECT WITH BEHRAMJEE

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to the Connecting Africa Report 01:23 Embraer's Footprint in Africa 08:44 Methodology Behind the Report 13:21 Countdown of Top 10 Routes: Brazzaville to Dakar 23:02 Countdown of Top 10 Routes: Douala to Dakar 28:55 Countdown of Top 10 Routes: Cape Town to Dar es Salaam 36:44 Countdown of Top 10 Routes: Abuja to Nairobi 44:00 Connecting Africa: The Abuja to Nairobi Route 44:24 Bamako to Brazzaville: Humanitarian and Diplomatic Links 53:10 Cotonou to Dakar: Trade and Student Travel 59:00 Cape Town to Lagos: Business and Leisure Dynamics 01:05:54 Dakar to Libreville: Oil and Banking Connections 01:10:46 Lusaka to Cape Town: Mining and Tourism Opportunities 01:20:37 Abidjan to Douala: The Unserved Route Potential

In this episode of AviaDev Insight Africa, host Jon Howell speaks with Chidozie Uzoezie, founder of the African Aviation Group (AAG), about the impact of the group on aspiring aviators in Africa. They discuss the challenges and opportunities in the African aviation industry, the launch of Mentortude, an all-inclusive mentorship platform, and the upcoming Fireside Chat event aimed at empowering the next generation of aviation professionals.

Find out more: https://www.mentortude.com/

Chidozie emphasizes the importance of mentorship, community, and access to information in shaping the future of aviation in Africa.

00:00 Introduction to African Aviation and Chidozie Uzoezie

03:09 The Impact of the African Aviation Group

06:07 Optimism for the Future of African Aviation

08:52 Introducing Mentitude: A New Mentorship Initiative

11:56 The Upcoming Fireside Chat Event

14:41 Closing Thoughts and Future Aspirations

In this episode of AviaDev Insight Africa, Jon Howell speaks with aviation consultant Miretab Tesfaye about the ambitious Bishoftu Airport project in Ethiopia.

They discuss the airport's projected capacity, the strategic advantages and opportunities for Ethiopian Airlines, and the challenges it faces in a competitive Global aviation market.

CONNECT WITH MIRETAB

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Bishoftu Airport Project

05:03 Miretab's Journey and Experience

09:25 Overview of Bishoftu Airport Details

16:17 Ethiopian Airlines' Competitive Advantage

22:58 Challenges and Opportunities for Ethiopian Airlines

29:51 Future of Bishoftu Airport and Its Impact

In this episode, we speak with George Mothema, CEO of the Board of Airline Representatives of South Africa (BARSA), to review the state of South African aviation in 2026 and preview the upcoming BARSA conference in KwaZulu-Natal.

George highlights positive market developments including shareholding changes at Safair, Qatar's 25% stake in Airlink, and SAA adding new routes as it rebuilds.

Key challenges discussed include ATNS's past neglect of instrument and flight procedure redesigns that led to suspended procedures and losses for airlines serving secondary airports, aging CNS equipment requiring manual workarounds, delayed airport maintenance by ACSA with noted improvements at OR Tambo, and border management bottlenecks such as long passport-control queues and delays implementing e-gates due to slow biometric systems and aging platforms.

Find out more: https://barsa.co.za/

00:00 Welcome to AviaDev Insight Africa + Introducing BARSA CEO George Mothema

01:17 South Africa Aviation 2026: The Good News (market shakeups, new investors, SAA routes)

04:21 The Bad News: ATNS flight procedure suspensions & air traffic systems upgrades

06:23 Airport maintenance & border control bottlenecks

08:27 Policy & safety snapshot: civil aviation policy balance

11:39 Regional recovery & why BARSA is heading to KwaZulu-Natal (Durban)

15:43 Conference theme reveal: "Destination Africa" and what it means

16:07 Program deep dive

22:34 Who should attend BARSA 2026

30:48 Wrap-up.

In this episode, the focus is on Africa World Airlines (AWA) and its new Chief Operating Officer, Sohail Mahmood

Sohail shares his aviation journey so far and what attracted him to join AWA.

We then delve into the foundational strengths of AWA, including its hub and spoke model operating out of Accra, Ghana, and the reasons for its resilience.

We then move to fleet and route strategy, where Sohail hints at potential expansion on both fronts in 2026, before wrapping up with a discussion on the strategic importance of partnerships and interline agreements to enhance AWA's route network and market presence.

This session was live-streamed on 26th January 2026.

To stay up to date with all things AviaDev, sign up at https://www.aviadev.com/keep-me-updated

As always, we are joined by our trusted pair — Behramjee Ghadially and Sean Mendis.

Chapters:

2025 AviaDev Award winners announcements

Ethiopian Airlines S26 network updates

Impact of updated US travel restrictions on Africa demand in 2026

Qatar Airways frequency increases to South Africa

TAAG's planned Guangzhou service on 787

Air Sierra Leone Banjul–London Gatwick

fastJet cutting LUN-HRE flights

Airlink increasing Lilongwe flights and looking at ordering 30 E175-E2s to replace E135/140 fleet.

SAA-Cemair codeshare agreement

Kenya Airways 777-300ER returns on LHR from June

Uganda Airlines A330 issues

Air Tanzania finally launching Accra 28JAN26?

Air Côte d'Ivoire longhaul schedule updates

WRAPUP

• Air Zimbabwe's US$775m turnaround and fleet replacement plan
• Delta's 787-10 order and implications for Africa
• Enugu Air's E195 expansion and virtual airline model
• Oman Air to Kigali?
• FlyNAS launching Abha to Addis Ababa 2x weekly
• Air Algerie 2x weekly ALG-NDJ-ADD starting March 2026

Katherine Nicholls is a South African who recently graduated from the University of Surrey with an MSc in Air Transport Management.

Her dissertation focused on the potential for Cape Town to evolve from a destination airport into a major aviation hub.

Learn about Katherine's research, which combines network analysis, connectivity data, and broader market factors.

Discover the roles of regional and international connectivity, infrastructural challenges, the impact of home-based carriers, and the future of Cape Town's aviation landscape.

CONNECT WITH KATHERINE

This is an audio recording of the annual AviaDev Insight Africa Awards, which was also live-streamed via the AviaDev YouTube channel and Jon Howell's personal LinkedIn page.

Join our monthly podcast guests, Sean Mendis and Behramjee Ghadially, who have been working independently (no collusion here!) to pick their nominees across these much-debated categories:

✈ New Intercontinental Africa Route of the Year

✈ New Intra-Africa Route of the Year

✈ Best Intercontinental "Expansion" Route of the Year

✈ Worst Route Decision of the Year

✈ Route Suspension of the Year

✈ Surprise Route of the Year

✈ Most Sensible Commercial Decision of the Year by an African airline

Expect strong opinions, healthy debate, and possibly a few raised eyebrows!

A reminder that the views expressed are those of my guests and not necessarily those of AviaDev.