AviaDev Insight Africa

In the landmark 300th episode of Aviadev Insight Africa, we are joined by Geert Lemaire, Marketing Director of Market Intelligence and Analysis at Airbus, to discuss the collaborative report with AviaDev on unserved air routes to, from, and within Africa.

The report was released at AviaDev Africa 2024 in Windhoek, Namibia.

Together we discuss:

• The motivations behind the report
• The response from the industry and media
• Why are aircraft manufacturers involved in network planning and route analysis?
• Why are certain routes unserved?
• General trends/ overall conclusions
• A deeper dive into the top 5 unserved routes to and from Africa.

Follow/ Connect with Geert Lemaire here

Download the report here

In this episode of Aviadev Insight Africa, host Jon Howell is joined by Air Botswana's CEO, Lulu Rasebotsa.

Together, they discuss:

Lulu's background and career journey

Air Botswana's recent fleet expansions- why choose Embraer?

Network expansion featuring a selection of reinstated and brand new routes

The selection criteria for these routes and type of passenger they cater for

How the airline combats seasonality

How Botswana is performing in terms of visa access in the region and further afield

Reflections on Lulu's first AviaDev experience

Connect/ Follow Lulu here

In this episode of Aviadev Insight Africa, recorded live in Johannesburg, South Africa, we explore the digital transformation in African airports.

We discuss the investment in African airport digitalization post-covid and the importance of stakeholder collaboration.

Connect with Adonis on LinkedIn

Listen to episode 240 here

Visit SITA's website

Chapters:

00:15 Introducing Adonis Succar and Digitalization

01:40 Momentum of Digitalization in African Airports

04:27 Investment and Challenges in African Airports

07:18 Visa Digitalization and Passenger Experience

12:29 Future of Seamless Intermodal Travel

15:14 Planning for Technological Advancements

17:50 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Welcome to the eleventh edition of AviaDev Insight Africa's Connectivity update, the podcast offering insight into the new route developments in Africa, hosted by Jon Howell, CEO and Founder of AviaDev Africa.

This month's guests are:

Sean Mendis, Aviation Consultant. CONNECT WITH SEAN

Lorne Philpot, Aviation Journalist CONNECT WITH LORNE

Key topics discussed:

✈️ South African Airways to launch Lubumbashi and Dar es Salaam from November

✈️ Fastjet increasing Bulawayo frequencies

✈️ RwandAir ceasing their Cape Town connection

✈️ Ethiopian Airlines to open Monrovia, Liberia, and Port Sudan

✈️ Qantas to up gauge the Sydney-Johannesburg route to an A380

✈️ Brussels Airlines' fleet expansion and plans for Sub-Saharan Africa

✈️ Virgin Atlantic to launch daily Accra flights from May 2025

If you enjoyed this conversation, please subscribe to the podcast to never miss another episode and share this episode with someone in your network who would benefit from listening.

Welcome to the tenth edition of AviaDev Insight Africa's Connectivity update, the podcast offering insight into the new route developments in Africa, hosted by Jon Howell, CEO and Founder of AviaDev Africa.

This month's guests are:

Sean Mendis, Aviation Consultant. CONNECT WITH SEAN

Behramjee Ghadially, Aviation Consultant. CONNECT WITH BEHRAMJEE

Key topics discussed:

✈️ Qatar's 25% investment into Airlink

✈️ Uganda Airlines to launch Lusaka, Abuja and Harare and London rumours

✈️ Air Botswana's regional expansion and fleet expansion to Namibia and South Africa

✈️ Air Senegal's network reduction and management changes

✈️ Kenya Airways reporting a net profit for the first time in over 10 years.

✈️ Ethiopian's Winter expansion and schedule changes

✈️ South African Airways increasing Mauritius to double-daily and starting Lubumbashi

✈️ TAAG increasing flights to South Africa and more managerial changes

✈️ Air France suspending Accra

✈️ Etihad re-advertising Nairobi

✈️ Air Tanzania launching Dubai-Zanzibar

✈️ FlyGabon to launch iminently

✈️ Emirates' latest update on restarting Nigeria operations

If you enjoyed this conversation, please subscribe to the podcast to never miss another episode and share this episode with someone in your network who would benefit from listening.

In this episode, we focus on a carrier that has recently announced it will be launching services to mainland Africa for the first time.

Air Asia will launch Kuala Lumpur - Nairobi on 15th November with a 4 weekly service and deploy an Airbus A330-300 comprising 12 business class and 365 economy seats.

I am joined by Paul Carroll, the Chief Commercial Officer of the Air Asia Group and together we cover

• An introduction to the Air Asia offering and business model
• Why Nairobi was chosen as the first entry point in Continental Africa and why now?
• How strong are the commercials on the route?
• What has the reaction been in the short time since the route was announced and put up for sale?
• How important is the Chinese market in the route's success?
• How will Air Asia stimulate the market to support the growth it will need to ensure the route is viable and successful?
• Why start with 4 frequencies per week?
• Are there plans for partnerships/ interlines with African carriers?
• What is the distribution strategy in Africa?

Connect/ Follow Paul on LinkedIn here

If you enjoyed this conversation, please subscribe to the podcast to never miss another episode and share this episode with someone in your network who would benefit from listening.

Welcome to the ninth edition of AviaDev Insight Africa's Connectivity update, the podcast offering insight into the new route developments in Africa, hosted by Jon Howell, CEO and Founder of AviaDev Africa.

This month's guests are Sean Mendis, Aviation Consultant, and Behramjee Ghadially, Aviation Consultant.

Key topics discussed:

✈️ Air Asia Kuala Lumpur- Nairobi ✈️ JamboJet launch of Mombasa- Zanzibar ✈️ Air France announce Kilimanjaro from November ✈️ FlyNamibia launch of Windhoek-Maun ✈️ The impact of visa policies on route development ✈️ Emirates extending the Seychelles flight to Madagascar ✈️ Ethiopian's Winter expansion and schedule changes ✈️ Air Cote d'Ivoire's expansion from October Rumour mill: ✈️ Etihad's postponed launch to Nairobi ✈️ Uganda Airlines to launch Gatwick ✈️ Uganda Airlines rumoured aircraft order ✈️ Singapore Airlines applies for Durban ✈️ Air Canada's potential in West Africa ✈️ Emirates announce a date to restart Lagos

Chapters

02:42 AirAsia's New Route to Africa

15:26 JamboJet's New Route: Mombasa to Zanzibar

23:31 Air France's New Route to Kilimanjaro

35:48 Fly Namibia's New Route to Maun

41:43 Impact of Visa Policies on Route Planning

56:47 Emirates' New Route to Madagascar

01:05:51 Ethiopian Airlines' Winter Expansion

01:09:52 Air Côte d'Ivoire's Network Growth

01:18:30 Rumor Mill: Airline Speculations and Announcements

In this episode, Jon and Denis discuss the importance of insurance in the African aviation industry. Insurance is a substantial operating cost and many African airlines may be overpaying or have the wrong solution for their needs.

AI12, is a specialist insurance and reinsurance broker and part of the Avia Solutions Group.

Together, they highlight the need for African airlines to present themselves properly to the international market and the role of insurance brokers in advocating for their clients.

They also discuss the challenges African airlines face in obtaining insurance and how AI12 helps them navigate the market.

Key takeaways include the importance of strategic thinking, transparency, trust in insurance negotiations, and the value of partnerships and collaboration in the industry.

Find out more about AI12 here

Email Denis here

In this episode, Jon and Achma discuss the evolving landscape of airline distribution and the strategies African airlines can use to extend their global reach.

Achma shares her inspiring journey in the aviation industry, insights into revenue management, and the importance of a robust distribution strategy.

The conversation also touches on the significance of technology, the role of tourism boards, and Achma's future visions for the industry.

Connect with Achma here

Find out more about Airlinepros here

00:00 Introduction to Aviadev Insight Africa

00:54 Meet Achma Azokan: A Journey in Aviation

07:56 The Evolution of Airline Distribution

11:02 Challenges and Strategies in Airline Revenue Management

17:40 Success Stories and Case Studies

22:09 Future Developments and Innovations in Aviation

29:26 Conclusion and Contact Information

In this episode, Jon and Richard explore the impact and opportunities harnessing technology and AI can have on African aviation, focusing on distribution, interlining, and the role of artificial intelligence.

They discuss the adaptation African airlines require to optimize their distribution channels and the potential of using AI to enhance customer service and reduce operational costs.

The Kiu team will attend AviaDev Africa 2024, 19-21 June in Windhoek, Namibia.

Find out more about Kiu here

Connect with Rodger Whittle on LinkedIn

Connect with Richard Ortega on LinkedIn