AviaDev Insight Africa

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 journey?

How can an airport deliver innovation and contactless solutions without huge costs?

What are the tangible benefits to digitizing?

How do smaller airports future-proof themselves?

How do we plan for and cater for the increased proportion of older travellers? What opportunities and challenges does this offer?

Finally, what does the journey of the future look like? How far are we away from not needing our physical passports in order to travel?

Download the IT insights report here

Connect with Adonis here

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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 focus on cargo operations.

In this podcast we discuss:

✈️ would Yvonne consider herself an #avgeek ? ✈️ what's the current network strategy? ✈️ what's driving the new focus on cargo business with the arrival of a Boeing 737-800 freighter? ✈️ the latest on the partnership/ strategic investment from Qatar ✈️ Yvonne's priorities as she becomes the first African and first female to chair the board of governors ✈️ The impact of the Arsenal F.C sponsorship from Visit Rwanda on traffic and awareness ⚽️ Is Yvonne an Arsenal fan?

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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 wonderful Century City Convention Centre in Cape Town on 10th March.

You find out more here https://barsa.co.za/summit/

Follow BARSA on LinkedIn here https://www.linkedin.com/company/board-of-airline-representatives-of-south-africa/

Don't forget, AviaDev takes place in Nairobi Kenya between 14th and 16th June 2023. To find out more, please visit www.aviationdevelop.com

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In this episode, AviaDev Africa shares an exclusive interview that was hosted, produced and published by AeroTime.

In the interview, AeroTime Journalist and Africa correspondent Michael Jonga sat down in the AeroTime Studio with the Honourable Minister of Aviation of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Mr. Hadi Abubakar Sirika.

key topics include:

🛫 The expected launch of Nigeria Air in the first quarter of 2023 and its ownership structure with Ethiopian Airlines.

🛫 The fallout from the legal action taken by some of Nigeria's domestic airlines as a result.

🛫 Developing connectivity to Nigeria and the Minister's forecast of Nigeria seeing 50 to 60 million passengers per annum within the next decade under the Single African Air Transport Market?

🛫 Measures being put in place by the Nigerian government to prevent the build-up of unrepatriated airline ticket revenues.

🛫 Investments being made into Nigeria's aviation infrastructure and personnel training.

You can watch the full video interview on AeroTime, click here: https://youtu.be/XNqPyDYBLPo

Read the full interview publication on AeroTime, click here: https://www.aerotime.aero/articles/exclusive-nigeria-air-expected-to-receive-aoc-for-q1-launch-breakeven-by-2026

To connect with Michael Jonga, click here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-jonga-719378183/

AeroTime is a global and digital multi-channel aviation hub that provides news, events, recruitment and advisory services to the aviation world.

Find out more about AeroTime here: https://www.aerotime.aero/

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In the first episode of 2023, I am joined by 2 guests from Embraer Commercial Aviation, namely Stephane Hannemann, the VP of sales and marketing for The Middle East and Africa, who started his Embraer in the African market and has come full circle, and Akie Chabra, sales director, who joined the team in 2022, is based in Johannesburg and has a background in aviation and finance.

Embraer boasts many customers on the African continent and continues to add new operators.

In this episode, we discuss the following:

How did the region perform and how did Embraer perform in 2022?

What are airline executives in Africa focused on in 2023 and is there a greater need for rightsizing than ever before?

The dominant trends for 2023

New projects at Embraer

Southern Africa focus. How will the market develop in 2023 and beyond

To connect with Stephan Hannemann, click here

To connect with Akie Chhabra, click here

Find out more about AviaDev Africa here

If you enjoyed this podcast, please subscribe so you never miss another episode, share it with someone you think will benefit from listening and we look forward to seeing you for the next episode soon

In the first episode of 2023, I am joined by 2 guests from Embraer Commercial Aviation, namely Stephane Hannemann, the VP of sales and marketing for The Middle East and Africa, who started his Embraer in the African market and has come full circle, and Akie Chabra, sales director, who joined the team in 2022, is based in Johannesburg and has a background in aviation and finance.

Embraer boasts many customers on the African continent and continues to add new operators.

In this episode, we discuss the following:

How did the region perform and how did Embraer perform in 2022?

What are airline executives in Africa focused on in 2023 and is there a greater need for rightsizing than ever before?

The dominant trends for 2023

New projects at Embraer

Southern Africa focus. How will the market develop in 2023 and beyond

To connect with Stephan Hannemann, click here

To connect with Akie Chhabra, click here 

Find out more about AviaDev Africa here 

If you enjoyed this podcast, please subscribe so you never miss another episode, share it with someone you think will benefit from listening and we look forward to seeing you for the next episode soon

For today's episode, you find me on location in Istanbul. Back in 2019, we announced that AviaDev would be taking place on the treasure island of Madagascar in 2020 and we started working on the plans for the event. Little did we know that in March 2020, everyone's lives would be turned upside down.

The Ravinala Airports team has just announced a really innovative and proactive route incentive program for new routes to Antananarivo and Nosy Be airports.

In the podcast, we discuss:

• The role and remit of Ravinala Airports
• The objectives of the route incentive program
• Why now is the right time
• What routes qualify for support and what is the support on offer?
• How is the program being financed?
• The top routes that could and perhaps should be served as a result of this scheme?

If you are an airline that is interested in finding out more, you can connect with Tatam and receive the full document here: https://ravinala-airports.aero/en/ravinala-airports/offre/

You can connect with Tatamo here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tatamo-rakotozafy-9a481940/

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For today's episode, we take a flight to the home of AviaDev Africa 2023, Nairobi, Kenya to meet Martin Gitonga, Head of Network Planning and Alliances at Kenya Airways, an airline that plays a vital role in keeping Africa connected to itself and the wider world.

In the last month, there have been some exciting new route announcements from the airline. These include a four-weekly flight from Mombasa to Dubai and a twice-weekly Accra- Dakar flight.

In this podcast, we discuss:

How 2022 has performed from KQ's perspective

Why now is the right time to launch Accra/ Dakar

The type of traffic is driving the demand?

How KQ see the recent progress with SAATM

The reasons behind launching Mombasa to Dubai on 15th December.

The other routes/ destinations KQ are considering increasing flights to and how interested partners can attract the attention of KQ?

The impact AviaDev Africa being hosted in Kenya will deliver for KQ and Kenya generally?

You can follow/connect with Martin on LinkedIn here

In this episode, we head back to Cape Town, the host city of AviaDev Africa 2022 to meet David King, Project Manager and Paul van den Brink, Aviation Liaison, from Cape Town Air Access team powered by WESGRO who have overseen a pretty incredible recovery of connectivity since the effects of the pandemic subsided earlier this year.

In this episode, we take a look at the domestic, regional and international recovery and get a feel for what's missing from the network. We also discuss the importance of air cargo in route development and how the Air Access team is supporting other African destinations in their drive to improve their air connectivity.

CONNECT WITH PAUL

CONNECT WITH DAVID

In this episode, we are joined by the CEO of TAAG Angola Airlines.

TAAG is one of the most interesting airline stories out there currently as it is reinventing itself, expanding its fleet and network and restructuring itself ready for private investment.

The man charged with leading this transformation is Eduardo Fairen Soria, an experienced pilot and airline executive who has been involved in numerous airline ventures around the globe.

In this session, we meet the man himself, understand the vision and mission of the airline and focus on the new routes being launched which including 2 never served by TAAG before, namely Durban and Accra.

We discuss:

Eduardo's philosophy when it comes to airline management?

Eduardo's mandate for the airline and what are the timelines?

Why now is the right time to launch Durban and Accra?

Where next within Africa?

What do you look and need for in terms of approach from an airport/destination working to attract TAAG?

The fleet plans. TAAG have ordered 6 A220s for the airline which should start arriving in January 2023.

Will these replace the 737s, compliment them and what will you look to do with the 737s?

And the 777s remain for long-haul markets?

What about airline partnerships?

Connect with Eduardo here

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