AviaDev Insight Africa

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.

This session was live-streamed on 26th January 2026.
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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

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

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.

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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