AviaDev Insight Africa

Jon Howell
  • 4.8 (4)
  • AVIATION
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

Since its creation in 2018, AviaDev Insight Africa has established itself as the premier podcast dedicated to African Aviation. We bring prominent industry voices to the table to establish the "ground truth" informally and candidly. The podcast was created by Jon Howell, Founder and CEO of AviaDev Africa, Africa's premier event dedicated to developing air connectivity to, from, and within the African continent

  1. 6H AGO

    Exploring South Africa's aviation landscape and counting down to BARSA 2026 with George Mothema, CEO

    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.

    31 min

  2. FEB 1

    From Accra to the World. Outlining Africa World Airlines' Fleet and Route Growth with Sohail Mahmood, Chief Operating Officer

    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.

    36 min

  3. JAN 26

    January's AviaDev Africa Connectivity update and 2025 Awards announcements

    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

    1h 40m

  4. JAN 6

    Cape Town's Hub Potential : Insights from Katherine Nicholls

    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

    39 min

  5. 12/18/2025

    AviaDev Insight Africa Awards 2025

    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.

    1h 39m

  6. 12/09/2025

    AviaDev's December 2025 Africa Connectivity Update with Sean Mendis and Behramjee Ghadially

    *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. Topics include: 02:51 Ethiopian Airlines' Fleet Expansion at Dubai Air Show with more A350-900 and 737 Max 8s 11:10 Air Senegal's Surprising Boeing "Order" of 15 Boeing 737 MAX 8s  21:08 Air Côte d'Ivoire's landmark Embraer 4 x E175 Order.  Read Behramjee's analysis 33:53 Ethiopian Airlines and Air Congo's ATR 72-600 Order 36:43 Flydubai's Massive Aircraft Orders from Airbus and Boeing and what it could mean for Africa 43:49 Emirates' New Routes to Cape Town and Nairobi  48:47 Kenya's Aviation Policy and Market Access Issues, plus challenges Facing Kenya Airways  01:00:33 Air Transat's New Routes to West Africa (Dakar, Senegal and Accra, Ghana) 01:14:32 Air Tanzania's New Vic Falls - Cape Town route  01:20:04 Farewell and AviaDev Connectivity Update 2025 Awards preview This month's guests are:  Sean Mendis, Aviation Consultant. CONNECT WITH SEAN Behramjee Ghadially, Aviation Consultant. CONNECT WITH BEHRAMJEE

    1h 20m

  7. 12/05/2025

    Fortifying African Airlines: Pathways to Financial Health with Raphael Haddad, President, Jetcraft Commercial

    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 This episode was recorded Tuesday 2nd December on location in Luanda, Angola, during the 57th AFRAA AGA. Join Jon Howell, Founder and CEO of AviaDev Africa, as he sits down with Raphael Haddad, President of Jetcraft Commercial, to discuss fleet growth, financing, and the future of African connectivity. Raphael shares his insights on supply chain challenges, risk perception, airline financing, and the impact of Nigeria signing the Cape Town Convention. They also explore trends in aircraft acquisition, leasing, and fleet composition for the next decade.  Find out more about Jetcraft Commercial Listen to the previous interview from Feb 2025 Listen to the interview from December 2023

    30 min

  8. 11/26/2025

    Is AFCAC delivering on its bold aviation ambitions? A conversation with Adefunke Adeyemi, Secretary General

    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 feature Adefunke Adeyemi, Secretary-General of the African Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC), as she begins her second term.  Host Jon Howell, CEO and Founder of AviaDev Africa, asks the tough questions regarding implementation, disputes, enforcement, and opportunities.  Reflections on the first term as SG What do you say to SAATM skeptics? How many countries can be classified as "SAATM Operational" today? Is AFCAC going to publish a YD compliance scorecard? What is the dispute resolution process if any airline is denied traffic rights? What punitive measures can AFCAC take? How can AFCAC ensure it represents airlines of all shapes, sizes and ownership structures? KPIs for SG's next 3-year term as AFCAC SG You can follow Adefunke Adeyemi on LinkedIn here  Listen to the previous interview here

    1h 13m
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Ratings & Reviews

4.8
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

Since its creation in 2018, AviaDev Insight Africa has established itself as the premier podcast dedicated to African Aviation. We bring prominent industry voices to the table to establish the "ground truth" informally and candidly. The podcast was created by Jon Howell, Founder and CEO of AviaDev Africa, Africa's premier event dedicated to developing air connectivity to, from, and within the African continent

Information

  • Creator
    Jon Howell
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2026
  • Episodes
    365
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Jon Howell
  • Show Website
    AviaDev Insight Africa

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