370. ValueJet. Innovating to stay ahead by creating Viki - Their AI concierge powered by Kiu
Release Date: 03/03/2026
372. From Reputation to Revenue: Building a strong airline brand with Rahsaan Johnson, brand expert
AviaDev Insight Africa
In this episode of AviaDev Insight Africa, we speak to Rahsaan Johnson, former Managing Director of Global Communications at Delta, with 13 years at United, about what “brand” means for airlines and why it drives profitability and resilience. Johnson defines brand as the emotions and adjectives customers associate with an airline, shaped by reputation and lived experience, and argues the foundation of a strong airline brand is “clean, safe, reliable.” He explains how a strong brand increases the willingness to pay among schedule-sensitive travelers, and why African airlines should...
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371. Live stage session at BARSA: Leadership Dialogue: Reframing Africa’s Aviation Narrative with Prof. Bonang Mohale & Hamish Erskine, CEO, Dube Trade Port
AviaDev Insight Africa
This a special podcast episode recorded on 6th March 2026 as part of the Board of Airline Representatives of South Africa Annual Conference. In the episode, Professor Mohale argues Africa’s economic and aviation story is often told by outsiders, calling for Africans to own the narrative and emphasizing leadership defined by vision, courage, and integrity. The discussion contrasts management and leadership, critiques reliance on bureaucracy as a refuge from accountability, and highlights how colonial-era boundaries and continued dependence undermine African prosperity and unity. Erskine...
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370. ValueJet. Innovating to stay ahead by creating Viki - Their AI concierge powered by Kiu
AviaDev Insight Africa
In this episode, we explore the innovative journey of ValueJet, a Nigerian airline that has recently introduced Viki, the first AI concierge in Africa. Temi Adjijola, the head of business program and IT at Value Jet, discusses the airline's mission to make flying accessible to more people in Nigeria, where air travel is still underutilized. Joining Temi is Rodger Whittle, Commercial Director and Juan Felipe Restrepo, Chief Product Officer at KIU System Solutions who created Viki and provide over 70 airlines worldwide with a comprehensive, cloud-based, AI-powered suite of IT services for...
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369. AviaDev's February 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. Clarification on the FlySafair sale Uganda Airlines - management changes, fleet changes, route changes Kenya Airways next steps. Can they secure an investor/ partner? - both Singapore and Qatar have denied interest Ethiopian update (adding a 4th daily Dubai, second daily Bamako - Dakar, cutting Nacala) Air Congo regional expansion - speculation on Europe? Eswatini Air to add Lusaka to their Harare service QR...
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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...
info_outlineIn this episode, we explore the innovative journey of ValueJet, a Nigerian airline that has recently introduced Viki, the first AI concierge in Africa.
Temi Adjijola, the head of business program and IT at Value Jet, discusses the airline's mission to make flying accessible to more people in Nigeria, where air travel is still underutilized. Joining Temi is Rodger Whittle, Commercial Director and Juan Felipe Restrepo, Chief Product Officer at KIU System Solutions who created Viki and provide over 70 airlines worldwide with a comprehensive, cloud-based, AI-powered suite of IT services for airlines, focusing on Passenger Service Systems (PSS), Departure Control Systems (DCS), and a proprietary Global Distribution System (GDS).
The conversation delves into the challenges faced by the airline industry in Nigeria, the adoption of technology to enhance customer experience, and the significant role of AI in streamlining operations and improving service delivery.
The guests also share insights on the future of AI in aviation, including potential applications in customer service, operational efficiency, and revenue management.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Value Jet and AI Concierge
06:42 Value Jet's Business Model and Market Positioning
12:45 The Role of AI in Enhancing Customer Experience
20:22 Industry Feedback and Adoption of AI Solutions
28:06 Future Applications of AI in Aviation
38:53 Expansion Plans and Strategic Growth for Value Jet