AviaDev's May 2025 Africa Connectivity Update with Sean Mendis and Behramjee Ghadially
Welcome to the April edition of the AviaDev Insight Africa Connectivity update for 2025, 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 Topics covered this month: Air Côte d'Ivoire's incoming A330-900 and potential destinations, including Beirut. RwandAir's interest in developing Mombasa and Zanzibar (great timing for AviaDev) Delta is upgrading Atlanta - Lagos to A350-900 daily Air France is increasing Cape Town service in Winter Air Asia has confirmed it will end the Nairobi route Air Tanzania is announcing Johannesburg- Zanzibar flights from 10th June (perfect timing for AviaDev) A deep dive analysis into the Dubai-Africa market, comparing ET vs KQ performance
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329. From Mobile Money to AI. The future of airline payments with Network International
In this episode, we welcome back Judy Waruiru, Regional Managing Director - East Africa, Network International. AI is influencing all aspects of the aviation business, and payments are no exception. Together, we discuss: Has the momentum towards payment digitisation from passengers continued? How is this reducing cost and complexity for airlines? Is the new "buy now, pay later" concept supporting airlines in acquiring new customers? What can be done with the data Network International collects? How can airlines prevent fraud, which continues to be an issue impacting the industry?  Read the blog post here Connect with Judy here Stay up to date with Network International here
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328. From Risk to Resilience. The Insurance and Safety Nexus with AI12
In this episode, we welcome Denis Kulikov, Deputy CEO at AI12 and Michael Jonga, Director Africa to explore how safety culture and its direct impact on insurance premiums, which can be a substantial expense for African airlines. Together, we discuss: The different types of insurance required to operate The link between safety and premiums and how to break the perception of risk The level of premiums paid by African airlines vs the World average Practical steps airlines can take to reduce this The role of an insurance broker and the benefits of engaging one such as AI12 Find out more about AI12 Connect with Denis Connect with Michael
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327. Transforming Somalia's Skies and Revenues with Navpass
We welcome the Director General of the Somalia Civil Aviation Authority, Ahmed Hassan Moalim and Tom Perkins, CEO of Navpass to tell the story of how Somalia's airspace has been reinvented over the last 7 years. We chart the course from when Somalia took back control of the Sovereign Airspace from ICAO and how Navpass supported them to collect all overflight fees owed whilst improving safety, security, and reliability for all stakeholders. The story is a blueprint for what can be achieved through trust, collaboration and innovation. You can meet the DG and the Navpass team at AviaDev Africa in Zanzibar in June 2025. Find out more about Navpass Connect with Tom  Â
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326. Driving non-aeronautical revenues and customer satisfaction at African Airports with NACO
In this episode, I speak to Jody Appolis, airport engineer who heads NACO’s business development unit in sub-Saharan Africa and Adam Ekman Pedersen who is Airport Commerce and customer experience lead. Supported by the infographic below, we are focused on African airports and the hot topic of non-aeronautical revenues. We look at how Africa compares to the global average and discuss some potential solutions to address this. Together, we discuss: The difference between aeronautical and non-aeronautical revenues How does Africa compare to the global average in terms of the ratio between the two? Does the overperformance of duty-free in Africa indicate a lack of decent alternative shopping or simply a compelling duty-free offering? How can the retail offering be improved and what role does the customer experience play in developing non-aeronautical revenues? How do we cater for Gen Z travellers and their preferences? CONNECT WITH JODY CONNECT WITH ADAM Â
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
South Africa