342. (Re)-Introducing The Fighter Pilot and CEO podcast
Release Date: 07/17/2025
368. Connecting Africa with Embraer. A recap of the top 10 unserved intra sub-Saharan African routes with Theo Wensink, Head of Airline Marketing, Middle East and Africa
AviaDev Insight Africa
In this episode, Host Jon Howell sits down with Theo Wensink, Head of Airline Marketing, Middle East and Africa at Embraer to discuss the "Connecting Africa" report which premiered at AviaDev Africa 2025. Providing commentary and insight into the findings are regular podcast contributors, aviation consultants Sean Mendis and Behramjee Ghadially. Together, they explore why the report was created, the methodology, and then we count down the top unserved routes from 10 to 1, identifying which have the best chance of being served and by whom. Chapters 00:00 Introduction...
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367. Introducing Mentortude with Chidozie Uzoezie, Founder, African Aviation Group
AviaDev Insight Africa
In this episode of AviaDev Insight Africa, host Jon Howell speaks with Chidozie Uzoezie, founder of the African Aviation Group (AAG), about the impact of the group on aspiring aviators in Africa. They discuss the challenges and opportunities in the African aviation industry, the launch of Mentortude, an all-inclusive mentorship platform, and the upcoming Fireside Chat event aimed at empowering the next generation of aviation professionals. Find out more: Chidozie emphasizes the importance of mentorship, community, and access to information in shaping the future of aviation in Africa. 00:00...
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366. The Bishoftu Airport Project. The start of Africa's connectivity revolution? With Miretab Tesfaye, Aviation Consultant
AviaDev Insight Africa
In this episode of AviaDev Insight Africa, Jon Howell speaks with aviation consultant Miretab Tesfaye about the ambitious Bishoftu Airport project in Ethiopia. They discuss the airport's projected capacity, the strategic advantages and opportunities for Ethiopian Airlines, and the challenges it faces in a competitive Global aviation market. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Bishoftu Airport Project 05:03 Miretab's Journey and Experience 09:25 Overview of Bishoftu Airport Details 16:17 Ethiopian Airlines' Competitive Advantage 22:58 Challenges and Opportunities for Ethiopian Airlines 29:51...
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365. Exploring South Africa's aviation landscape and counting down to BARSA 2026 with George Mothema, CEO
AviaDev Insight Africa
In this episode, we speak with George Mothema, CEO of the Board of Airline Representatives of South Africa (BARSA), to review the state of South African aviation in 2026 and preview the upcoming BARSA conference in KwaZulu-Natal. George highlights positive market developments including shareholding changes at Safair, Qatar’s 25% stake in Airlink, and SAA adding new routes as it rebuilds. Key challenges discussed include ATNS’s past neglect of instrument and flight procedure redesigns that led to suspended procedures and losses for airlines serving secondary airports, aging CNS equipment...
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364. From Accra to the World. Outlining Africa World Airlines' Fleet and Route Growth with Sohail Mahmood, Chief Operating Officer
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...
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363. January's AviaDev Africa Connectivity update and 2025 Awards announcements
AviaDev Insight Africa
This session was live-streamed on 26th January 2026. To stay up to date with all things AviaDev, sign up at 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...
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362. Cape Town's Hub Potential : Insights from Katherine Nicholls, MSc Air Transport Management Graduate
AviaDev Insight Africa
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.
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361. AviaDev Insight Africa Awards 2025
AviaDev Insight Africa
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...
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360. AviaDev's December 2025 Africa Connectivity Update with Sean Mendis and Behramjee Ghadially
AviaDev Insight Africa
*Subscribe to our mailing list to never miss another episode and stay up to date with event news: 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. 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...
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359. Fortifying African Airlines: Pathways to Financial Health with Raphael Haddad, President, Jetcraft Commercial
AviaDev Insight Africa
Subscribe to our mailing list to never miss another episode and stay up to date with event news: This episode was recorded Tuesday 2nd December on location in Luanda, Angola, during the 57th AFRAA AGA. Join Jon Howell, Founder and CEO of AviaDev Africa, as he sits down with Raphael Haddad, President of Jetcraft Commercial, to discuss fleet growth, financing, and the future of African connectivity. Raphael shares his insights on supply chain challenges, risk perception, airline financing, and the impact of Nigeria signing the Cape Town Convention. They also explore trends in aircraft...
info_outlineIn this episode, I share the first episode of a podcast series I hosted and recorded back in 2021, entitled "The Fighter Pilot and the CEO"
The focus of this particular episode is a conversation about whether leaders are born or made and the role of culture and education in forming effective leaders.
If you enjoyed it, you can listen to the full series on the podcast platform of your choice by searching "Fighter pilot and the CEO" or head here https://www.fighterpilotandceo.com/podcasts/
Representing the C-suite was Peter Davies, someone who brings over 40 years of boardroom and airline experience, having served as CEO of multiple airlines, including Brussels Airlines, Air Malta, and Caribbean Airlines, and now the Founder and CEO of Airline Management Group. Joining Peter on the flight deck was Andy Wright, a retired wing commander from the Royal Air Force.