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: 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

This session was recorded 11th June in Zanzibar. In this session, industry leaders discuss the critical aspects of tourism and aviation policy integration within the African context. The panel reviews the vital role of private sector and government collaboration, and the importance of regional connectivity. Key points address the economic impact of improved air access, the challenges posed by protectionist policies, and the necessity for a data-driven approach. The discourse emphasizes actionable steps like fostering deeper cooperation between tourism bodies and aviation authorities and how better trade and infrastructure can elevate African tourism. Your moderator is Natalia Rosa, Tourism Project Lead, SADC Business Council Panellists: Hafsa H. Mbamba, Tourism Delivery Manager, Zanzibar Presidential Delivery Bureau (ZPDB) Rashid Toefy, Deputy Director General for Economic Development and Tourism, Western Cape Government

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, we dive into a topic that has been dominating conversations over the last couple of years, specifically aviation's role in supporting the drive towards net zero and a more sustainable industry. To do this I am joined by Dirk Singer, the Head of Sustainability at Simpliflying, a consulting firm that is dedicated to supporting a greener and more environmentally sustainable future for air travel. Together we discuss: How best to address the topic of sustainability with industry stakeholders? What Simpliflying is aiming to achieve with the book? Should Africa be subject to the same sustainability targets as everyone else, when its aviation industry is unprofitable? Who should finance sustainability? What can African aviation and governmental stakeholders be doing now to capitalise on the opportunity? Buy the book here Listen to the sustainability in the air podcast now here or find it on all platforms Follow Dirk on LinkedIn Follow Simpliflying on LinkedIn If you enjoyed this episode, click subscribe to never miss another episode and please share with someone you feel would benefit from listening

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 an outstanding contribution to route development in Africa, Madame Adefunke Adeyemi, the Secretary General of AFCAC. Together, we discuss: The increased visibility and reach of AFCAC through a new communications strategy and appointment of SAATM Ambassadors across the continent 5 months on from the launch of the Pilot Implementation Plan, where do we stand with SAATM progress? What are the common objections to not joining the PIP and how is AFCAC ensuring these countries are not left behind? Is everything in place to deal with any disputes that may arise during implementation? Why the immediate focus is on growing the number of 5th freedom routes across the continent. You can visit AFCAC at www.afcac.org Follow AFCAC on twitter here Follow AFCAC on LinkedIn 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

🏆 Since 2018, AviaDev has presented one distinguished leader in aviation with this annual award for their contribution to route development in Africa. 🌍 Previous winners include Adefunke Adeyemi, Regional Director, Advocacy and Strategic Relations, Africa - IATA; Raphael Kuuchi, Special Envoy on Aero-political Affairs, IATA and Chris Zweigenthal, Chief Executive, Airlines Association of Southern Africa. 🎁📦✈️ We are delighted to announce that in 2022, this esteemed award was presented to Sanjeev Gadhia, Founder and CEO, Astral Aviation. You will hear Sanjeev being interviewed by both Ato Girma Wake, Board Chairman of Ethiopian Airlines and Event Patron of AviaDev Africa and Adefunke Adeyemi, Regional Director, Advocacy and Strategic Relations, IATA. If you enjoyed the session, please share it with someone in your network that would benefit from listening

With increased operational costs, airlines are laser-focused on delivering efficiencies, whilst also improving the passenger experience and opportunities to generate ancillary revenues. In this episode recorded on location in Magical Kenya during the AFRAA Stakeholder Convention, I was joined by Francois Chazelle, VP, Commercial Middle East, and Africa at SITA for aircraft. In this episode, we discuss: 🛫 The factors driving passenger behavior and what passengers expect onboard? ✈️ How route optimization software can deliver tangible results in terms of reducing fuel burn 🌿 How do SITA's solutions support the drive towards a more sustainable future? 📱The response of African airlines to new technologies and digitization. You can connect with Francois here Find out more about SITA's solutions here If you enjoyed this podcast, please share it with someone you think will benefit from listening and leave us a review so we can be found by even more people.

In this episode, I am joined by Meir Hadassi-Turner ,Founder and CEO of AeroCRS, an innovative Software as a Service (SaaS) provider of passenger services systems and much more. In this episode we discuss the changing landscape of distribution and how and why airlines must understand this customer behaviour to ensure they are prepared for the future including a move towards: Last minute bookings Desire for flexible fares Direct booking with the airline The increasing role of insurance The ability to amend bookings easily and directly The upcoming AeroCRS Virtual customer conference will take place 23rd and 24th November and you can register today here To listen to our previous interview, which features AeroCRS customer Lift, click here

Arpad Szakal is a career transition coach at the centre for Aviation Psychology. He joined us for the Africa Tomorrow event in July 2020, moderating our next generation panel. The purpose of this episode is to provide practical advice to the huge number of aviators that have had their career ambitions blown off course by the pandemic. We discuss how to understand the skills and value you already have, what you can do now to equip yourselves for the future and how to become more visible. You can connect with Arpad here If you enjoyed the podcast, please share it with one person in your network that you think will benefit from listening.

This episode focuses on the British Overseas territory of St Helena. An island full of fascinating historic significance, it is living proof of the neverending power aviation has to connect and transform communities. James discusses the challenges involved in getting the airport opened to commercial traffic and what the future holds If you would like to watch the Embraer "taming of the winds" video you can click here:

This episode was recorded in Paris just ahead of the announcement that Ravinala Airports will host AviaDev Africa 2020 in Antananarivo, 6-8 May 2020. We discuss the progress of the new terminal project, the key markets of interest for air service development and find out some more about the new dawn that Madagascar is experiencing. You can find out more about Ravinal Airports at https://ravinala-airports.aero/en/

In this episode, we discover just what makes the Cape Town Air Access team tick. We discuss the African opportunity and how they have made Cape Town more attractive to the international carriers. We also talk about which African markets are of interest going forward and the planned expansion of the airport. One of these routes, Kigali, Harare and Cape Town served by RwandAir was first discussed at AviaDev 2017, illustrating the power of the AviaDev platform. This episode was recorded before the announcement of the United route from Newark to Cape Town, which is the 14th new route since the Cape Town Air Access initiative was created.