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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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,...

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...

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,...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

In this episode, we head to Dakar, Senegal to pay a visit to the Headquarters of The African Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC), a specialist agency of the African Union. AFCAC is the executing agency of SAATM, the Single Africa Air Transport Market, which if successfully implemented could hold the key to a golden age of Aviation development on the continent.  To discuss progress, challenges, and priorities, we are joined by the recipient of the 2021 AviaDev Ato Girma Wake lifetime award for...

In this episode, we explore a solution that is growing in importance in Africa, namely ACMI, an acronym meaning Aircraft Crew Maintenance and Insurance, a form of leasing. Our guest is Dainius Staniulis, the Vice President of Commercial and Business Development at Avion Express, a provider of short and long-term leasing and charter solutions.  In the episode, we discuss: The definition of ACMI and how it differs from the traditional means of operating on the continent.  How big the ACMI...

This episode is an exclusive interview with Kirby Gordon, Chief Marketing Officer of FlySafair, a low-cost airline based in South Africa.  Bookings were opened for a new flight to Zanzibar in the week of 13th March 2023 and in this interview, we set out to understand why now is the right time to launch the route, the traffic profile driving the route, an update on the fleet expansion and which other destinations are on the radar in the Southern African region. You can follow Kirby on...

In this episode, we preview the upcoming inaugural AviaDev Real Estate event, taking place alongside AviaDev Africa in Nairobi on 14th June 2023.  The podcast provides more background on how real estate development could act as a catalyst for the successful future of many African airports.  Marcel has contributed an article in Airport World, expanding on many of these topics, which you can access here Download the white paper here In the episode, we ask: Just how resilient is real estate...

This episode was recorded on the sidelines of the ACI Africa event which took place in Kigali, Rwanda between 28th February and 2nd March 2023. I am joined by Adonis Succar is the Director of Business Development for MEA at SITA. SITA is the world's leading specialist in air transport communications and information technology and has many customers on the African continent.  In the podcast, we discuss: Passenger preferences.  Are we all looking for a more contactless, digitally enabled...

For this episode, you find me on location in the land of a thousand hills, Rwanda. AviaDev’s relationship with Rwanda and RwandAir goes back to 2016 when AviaDev was born in Kigali. My guest today is the CEO of RwandAir, Yvonne Manzi Makolo who took the reins of the airline in 2018. Yvonne comes from a telecommunications background rather than aviation, although she’s now firmly immersed in our community and the airline continues to develop with new routes, new aircraft, and a renewed...

In this episode, we speak to George Mothema, the CEO of the Board of Airline Representatives of South Africa or BARSA, who are a valuable partner for AviaDev and represent the interests of domestic, regional and international airlines serving South Africa to government and other stakeholders in the airline industry.   In podcast 229, we briefly discussed the idea of an upcoming BARSA event. This is now a reality and in this episode we preview the event, which will take place at the...