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The Indian #AvGeek

Vishal Mehra

81 episodes

Every fortnight, Vishal Mehra goes deep with airline CEOs and COOs, airport route-development chiefs, OEM leaders, loyalty heads and the analysts who keep them honest, from DEL and BOM to AMS, FRA, DFW and beyond.

More about the show

Networks, fleets, slots, alliances, PaxEx and the economics behind every decision. The name is Indian. The conversation is global. The subject is always the business of aviation.

The Indian AvGeek is India's top aviation podcast.

www.TheIndianGeek.com

Episodes page 1 of 2

  1. Why Airlines Fail: The WOW Air & PLAY Story feat. Birgir Jonsson (Ex-CEO, Play Airlines)

    · 39 min · S1 E81

    Why do Iceland's low-cost airlines keep going bust, and can long-haul low-cost ever work? In Episode 81 of The Indian AvGeek, Vishal Mehra speaks with Birgir Jonsson, founding CEO of PLAY Airlines, former Deputy CEO…

  2. All Routes Lead to Rome feat. Federico Scriboni (Director Aviation, ADR)

    · 34 min · S1 E80

    Rome Fiumicino has grown into a 51 million-passenger global hub and India is firmly on its radar for what comes next. In Episode 80 of The Indian AvGeek, Vishal Mehra speaks with Federico Scriboni, Director Aviation…

  3. The Art of Winning Airline Routes feat. Leon Verhallen (Dir Aviation Development, Brussels Airport)

    · 58 min · S1 E79

    What does it actually take to convince an airline to deploy a $200 million aircraft on a brand new route? On Episode 79 of The Indian AvGeek, Vishal Mehra sits down with Leon Verhallen, Director Aviation Development…

  4. The Invisible Operating System of Aviation feat. Somit Goyal (CEO, IBS Software)

    · 45 min · S1 E78

    On many flights you have taken - the booking, the check-in, the cargo hold below your feet, the crew rescheduling when things go wrong, is running on software you've never heard of. That software is IBS.In Episode 78…

  5. Inside The Airport Tech Race feat. Sunil Ankalgi (Business Head, WAISL)

    · 38 min · S1 E77

    If you've ever walked through an airport terminal and wondered who keeps it all running, this episode is for you. In Episode 77 of The Indian AvGeek, Vishal Mehra interviews Sunil Ankalgi, Business Head at WAISL…

  6. Royal Jordanian’s Big Bet on India & Levant feat. Karim Makhlouf (CCO, Royal Jordanian Airlines)

    · 47 min · S1 E76

    In Episode 76 of The Indian AvGeek, host Vishal Mehra sits down with Karim Makhlouf, CCO of Royal Jordanian Airlines, for a deep dive in global aviation strategy. Karim shares commercial insights from his 27-year…

  7. Inside Indian Aviation's Biggest Week with Tewolde & Willie Walsh (Ameya Joshi & Sean Mendis) - The Indian AvGeek Episode 75

    · 31 min · S1 E75

    In a wild 48 hour window, Indian aviation delivered a decade’s worth of news, forcing an emergency out-of-turn Episode 75 of The Indian AvGeek! Air India named Ethiopian Airlines architect Tewolde Gebremariam as its…

  8. Why Airline Loyalty Ends Too Soon? feat. Safir Jamal (Founder & CEO, Passtination)

    · 49 min · S1 E74

    Why does airline loyalty vanish the exact moment your luggage hits the arrival carousel? In Episode 74 of The Indian AvGeek, host Vishal Mehra sits down with Safir Jamal, Founder & CEO of Passtination (and creator of…

  9. Project Baraka & the Art of LCC Warfare feat. Antony Fernandes (Head Network Planning & Revenue Optimization, Jazeera Airways)

    · 58 min · S1 E73

    Episode 73 of The Indian AvGeek features Antony Oliver Fernandes, Head - Network Planning & Revenue Optimization at Jazeera Airways, for a conversation that runs from the ambitious, wide-body dreams of Kingfisher…

  10. The Greek Coup & Expansion feat. Ioanna Papadopoulou (Director, Athens International Airport)

    · 55 min · S1 E72

    How does an airport leap from 21st to 2nd place in international connectivity rankings among major European hubs? In the 72nd episode of The Indian AvGeek, we sit down with Ioanna Papadopoulou, the Director of…

  11. The Multi-Hub Myth feat. Behramjee Ghadially and Sean Mendis

    · 44 min · S1 E71

    Episode 71 of The Indian AvGeek, host Vishal Mehra sits down with two of the sharpest minds in the business. Fresh off AviaDev 2026, Sean Mendis and Behramjee Ghadially join the show for an unfiltered, deeply…

  12. Will Delhi Do Dallas? feat. Chris McLaughlin (CEO, DFW - Dallas Fort Worth Intl Airport)

    · 58 min · S1 E70

    What does it take to run one of the world's largest, busiest aviation mega-hubs while actively chasing the world's fastest-growing aviation market? In Episode 70 of The Indian AvGeek, we sit down with Chris…

  13. AIX 2026 & The PaxEx Paradox feat. Seth Miller (Founder, PaxEx.Aero)

    · 1 h 07 min · S1 E69

    What does it actually take to build a great passenger experience at 35,000 feet and who's keeping airlines honest when they fall short? In Episode 69 of The Indian AvGeek, Vishal Mehra sits down with Seth Miller,…

  14. Slot Archaeology & Airline Networking feat. Wilco Sweijen (Airline Partnerships Dir, AMS Schiphol)

    · 1 h 02 min · S1 E68

    On Episode 68 of The Indian AvGeek, host Vishal Mehra sits down with Wilco Sweijen, Airline Partnerships Director at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, for a behind-the-curtain conversation on how AMS picks its airline…

  15. The Future of Airline Loyalty feat. Mark Potter (Managing Director, Etihad Guest)

    · 1 h 04 min · S1 E67

    In Episode 67 of The Indian AvGeek, we are going under the hood of one of the world’s most aggressive loyalty transformations. Our guest is Mark Potter, Managing Director of Etihad Guest. India is Etihad Guest's…

  16. State of the Aviation Industry (part 2) feat. Thomas Jaeger & Addison Schonland

    · 45 min · S1 E66

    Episode 66 of The Indian AvGeek is part 2 of one of the most substantive conversations this show has ever hosted, and it goes deeper. Thomas Jaeger (Founder, ch-aviation) and Addison Schonland (Founder, AirInsight…

  17. State of the Aviation Industry (part 1) feat. Thomas Jaeger & Addison Schonland

    · 1 h 00 min · S1 E65

    Episode 65 In our landmark 65th episode, we bring together two of the world’s most formidable aviation analysts for a rare joint appearance. Thomas Jaeger (Founder & CEO, ch-aviation) and Addison Schonland (Founder &…

  18. Hub & Seek: How Lufthansa is Playing the Long Game feat. Felipe Bonifatti (VP Asia Pacific, ME & JV East, Lufthansa Group)

    · 31 min · S1 E64

    Episode 64 100 years of Lufthansa. One guest who's been there for 34 of them. In Episode 64 of The Indian AvGeek, we sit down with Felipe Bonifatti, VP Asia Pacific, Middle East & Joint Ventures East at the Lufthansa…

  19. On Pieter Elbers and IndiGo feat. Kushan Mitra (The Pioneer) & Ajay Awtaney (Live From A Lounge)

    · 37 min · S1 E63 · Explicit

    Episode 63 On March 10th, 2026, the Indian aviation industry was rocked by the abrupt resignation of Pieter Elbers from IndiGo. As the architect of IndiGo’s global expansion—introducing wide-bodies, business class,…

  20. The Middle Seat’s Masterclass feat. Scott McCartney (Airlines Confidential Podcast)

    · 1 h 07 min · S1 E62

    Episode 62 This week on The Indian AvGeek, we hit a bucket-list milestone. We are joined by Scott McCartney, the legendary creator of the Wall Street Journal’s "Middle Seat" column. For 29 years, Scott was the…

  21. Frenemies at the Gate: The Lufthansa - Air India Moment feat. Kevin Markette (Head of Sales-South Asia, Lufthansa Group)

    · 43 min · S1 E61

    Episode 61 Just as the aviation industry digests the news of the Lufthansa-Air India MoU and the arrival of the Allegris cabin in New Delhi, we sit down with Kevin Markette, Head of Sales for South Asia at Lufthansa.…

  22. Inside CPH: How the Nordics’ No.1 Runs feat. Johan Laurberg (Sr Route Development Manager, Copenhagen Airports)

    · 40 min · S1 E60

    Episode 60: What does it take to get a widebody jet from Mumbai to land in Copenhagen? It turns out it’s a mix of high-stakes matchmaking, "slot surgery", and sometimes even a twenty-year game of patience. In this…

  23. Inside BBJ's feat. Chris Shindle (Director of Marketing, Boeing Business Jets)

    · 58 min · S1 E59

    In Episode 59 of The Indian AvGeek, Vishal Mehra sits down with Chris Shindle to explore the evolving world of business aviation through Boeing’s lens. From Honeywell’s forecast of 8,500 new biz jets in the next decade…

  24. Air Canada’s 2026 Flight Plan feat. Mark Nasr (EVP & COO, Air Canada)

    · 1 h 00 min · S1 E58

    Episode 58: We are kicking off 2026 with a high-altitude deep dive! In the season premiere, Vishal Mehra sits down with Mark Nasr, the Executive Vice President and Chief Operations Officer at Air Canada. Mark is the…

  25. Forecast for 2026 Skies feat. Ajay Awtaney (Founder & Editor, LiveFromALounge.com)

    · 1 h 07 min · S1 E57

    Episode 57: The 2026 Flight Plan with Ajay Awtaney As 2025 draws to a close, the Indian skies look vastly different than it did twelve months ago. We’ve seen the "arrival" of India on the global stage at the IATA AGM…

  26. The Cheeky Challenger feat. Shivani Singh Deo (Country Manager - India, Virgin Atlantic)

    · 54 min · S1 E56

    Episode 56 Virgin Atlantic isn’t just flying to India; they are painting the skies red with a staggering 350% growth since 2019. In this episode, Vishal sits down with Shivani Singh Deo, Country Manager – India for…

  27. The Last MD‑83 and the Next Frontier feat. Arun Kr Singh (President & CEO, TezJet)

    · 1 h 25 min · S1 E55

    Episode 55 with Arun Kumar Singh, the CEO of Kyrgyzstan-based TezJet. From the hyper-regulated regional skies of India’s UDAN scheme to the mountainous terrain of Central Asia, Arun’s journey is as unique as the fleet…

  28. From Cockpit to Analytics feat. Courtney Miller, Founder & MD, Visual Approach Analytics)

    · 1 h 16 min · S1 E54

    Episode 54 What happens when a pilot, an airline operator, and a strategist decide to reimagine aviation through the lens of data? In this episode, I sit down with Courtney Miller, the mind behind Visual Approach…

  29. Defrastructure & Disruption: The ePlane Story feat. Prof Satya Chakravarthy (Founder, The ePlane Co)

    · 1 h 12 min · S1 E53

    What does it take to reimagine flight for India’s cities — and make it affordable, scalable, and safe? In this episode of The Indian AvGeek, I sit down with Prof. Satya Chakravarthy, Founder, CEO-CTO of The ePlane…

  30. The Indian Travel Stack feat. Suresh Khadakbhavi (CEO, Digi Yatra Foundation)

    · 57 min · S1 E52

    A deep dive into the tech, governance, and everyday friction of modern air travel with the person who helped turn a fringe idea into India’s biometric travel backbone. Suresh Khadakbhavi walks us from a muddy auto ride…

  31. Delhi Hub Hustle & Airline Tussle feat. Ameya Joshi (Founder, NetworkThoughts.com)

    · 1 h 05 min · S1 E51

    In this episode of The Indian AvGeek, we welcome Ameya Joshi, Founder of NetworkThoughts.com to unpack Delhi Airport’s rise as a global transfer hub, explore underserved corridors, and chart India’s changing network…

  32. 50 Shades of Oneworld feat. Nathaniel Pieper (CEO, Oneworld)

    · 48 min · S1 E50

    A milestone episode for The Indian AvGeek. For our fiftieth show we welcome Nathaniel Pieper, an airline lifer who now leads Oneworld. Expect a conversation that blends airline boardroom strategy with the pure joy of…

  33. Aviation Economics at 35000 feet feat. Jay Shabat (Skift Airline Weekly)

    · 1 h 12 min · S1 E49

    Episode 49 features Jay Shabat, the founder of Airline Weekly (now Skift Airline Weekly) and senior aviation analyst at Skift. In this episode, Jay shares his unique journey from revenue analyst at US Airways to…

  34. Hub & Spoke Huddle: From Munich to Mumbai via Beijing, feat. Behramjee Ghadially

    · 1 h 07 min · S1 E48

    Episode 48 of The Indian AvGeek featured Behramjee Ghadially, Senior Manager, Route Network Planning at CAMAIR and aviation strategist. We unpacked the latest in network planning, fleet deployment, and market…

  35. Flying by the Numbers feat. Mike Malik (Chief Marketing Officer, Cirium)

    · 34 min · S1 E47

    Episode number 47 of The Indian AvGeek, Vishal sits down with Mike Malik—veteran airline sales leader turned marketing chief at Cirium, to trace a remarkable journey through aviation. From sales at American Airlines…

  36. Seat 1A. Up-Front and Lie-Flat Truths feat. John Walton (Editor in chief, The Up Front)

    · 55 min · S1 E46

    This isn’t just a cabin tour with John Walton, Editor-in-Chief, The Up Front—it’s a conversation about culture, ambition, and the art and science of making every inch of metal feel like home. Whether you’re an AvGeek,…

  37. Unpacking AI171 Prelim Report with India’s Top Aviation Minds

    · 51 min · S1 E45

    In this special edition of The Indian AvGeek, we have three of India’s leading aviation experts—Sanjay Lazar, Devesh Agarwal, and Captain Kishore Chinta—to dissect the preliminary AI171 crash report. Through a blend of…

  38. Props to the Future: feat. Jean-Pierre Clercin (Commercial Head - APAC , ATR)

    · 59 min · S1 E44

    🎙️ In this riveting conversation, Jean-Pierre Clercin, Commercial Head of ATR in APAC, talks us through the evolving turboprop narrative in India and beyond. From new orders at the Paris Air Show 2025 to insights on…

  39. Inside the Business of the Sky: feat. Brian Sumers (Founder/Editor, The Airline Observer)

    · 35 min · S1 E43

    In this episode, The Indian AvGeek dives deep with Brian Sumers, founder and editor of The Airline Observer. From the emotional roots of his aviation journey to hot takes from the IATA AGM in New Delhi, Brian reflects…

  40. AvGeek meets Points Geek- feat. Brian Kelly (Founder & CEO, The Points Guy)

    · 52 min · S1 E42

    The world’s most renowned points & miles guru, the founder of The Points Guy, Brian Kelly, joins this episode of The Indian AvGeek. Brian talks in detail about the growth of the points and miles scene worldwide and…

  41. Nose to Tail Insights! - feat. Arvind Chandrasekhar (Head of Network, Fleet Management & Director Sales India, Lufthansa Consulting)

    · 57 min · S1 E41

    This week Arvind Chandrasekhar, the Director of Sales India and Head of Network, Fleet Management at Lufthansa Consulting, discusses in detail the world of aviation consulting. We delve deep into the business of…

  42. Inside IndiGo’s Flight Plan - feat. Abhijit DasGupta (Head of Planning and Revenue, IndiGo)

    · 1 h 01 min · S1 E40

    The 40th episode of The Indian AvGeek features Abhijit DasGupta, the head of planning and revenue management at IndiGo. Abhijit details everything, from his background at Jet Airways to joining IndiGo & the first…

  43. The Cranky Cockpit - feat. Brett Snyder (Founder/Author, Cranky Flier)

    · 50 min · S1 E39

    Brett Snyder, the founder of Cranky Flier and the host of The Air Show podcast, joins to discuss a wide variety of issues. From the impact of tariffs on aviation to Boeing and Airbus, Embraer’s NGNB, the importance of…

  44. The HYD High-Flyer - feat. Pradeep Panicker (CEO, RGIA) - The Indian AvGeek

    · 48 min · S1 E38

    Pradeep Panicker (CEO of Hyderabad International Airport) joins episode 38 to discuss near and long-term plans for the airport, one of the most important in the country. We discuss the reasons for HYD’s success, future…

  45. The Alliance Alchemist - feat. Mauro Oretti (Head of Ops, SkyTeam) - The Indian AvGeek

    · 52 min · S1 E37

    Mauro Oretti joins the podcast to talk about alliances in detail. We discussed mergers vs. alliances. Entries and exits at SkyTeam: What does success look like to the alliance? The lack of Indian carriers in the…

  46. The A,B,C,E of Past, Present and Future of Aviation - feat. Richard Aboulafia (MD - AeroDynamic Advisory) - The Indian AvGeek

    · 57 min · S1 E36

    Richard Aboulafia, Managing Director of AeroDynamic Advisory, joins me to discuss various topics, ranging from the past to the present and the future of the aviation industry. We discuss his thoughts on the A, B, C,…

  47. Insights on Aircraft Leasing & Asset Management (Part 2) - feat. Alok Anand (Chairman/CEO - Acumen Aviation) - The Indian AvGeek

    · 38 min · S1 E35

    Episode number 35 of The Indian AvGeek features Alok Anand, from Acumen Aviation, continuing our in-depth chat from last week about aircraft leasing in India and the various intricacies around the business. In this…

  48. Lease, Lift, and Land: Insights on Aircraft Leasing & Asset Management - feat. Alok Anand (Chairman/CEO - Acumen Aviation) - The Indian AvGeek

    · 38 min · S1 E34

    Just as the Indian Parliament approved a bill to empower the Cape Town convention and aircraft protocol, Alok Anand joined us to give an in-depth perspective of the Indian aircraft leasing market, how the entire…

  49. Skift Happens: Unpacking the World of Travel & Aviation - feat. Rafat Ali (CEO/Founder - Skift) - The Indian AvGeek

    · 45 min · S1 E33

    I caught up with Rafat just a few days after the conclusion of a very successful Skift India Forum 2025. We engaged in a comprehensive conversation about the power of travel, the intricate relationship with aviation,…

  50. Behind the Terminals at DXN - feat. Daniel Bircher (Chairman & MD - Noida International Airport, Zurich Airport International) - The Indian AvGeek

    · 48 min · S1 E32

    Episode number 32 features Daniel Bircher, Chairman and MD at the Noida International Airport. Detailed discussion involving all aspects of the airport launching soon. ✈️Daniel’s background in aviation and how he got…

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