Africa World Airlines (AWA) is placing Embraer E190 aircraft at the center of its plans to expand across underserved West African markets, with Chief Operating Officer Sohail Mahmood arguing that reliable regional connectivity matters more than operating larger aircraft.
Speaking to AeroTime at the Aviation Africa Summit in Nairobi, held on September 9 and 10, 2026, Mahmood outlined a strategy built around strengthening the airline’s Accra hub, selecting aircraft suited to fragmented regional markets, and expanding gradually beyond West Africa.
“What we really need to do in West Africa, I think Africa as a whole, is to ensure that connectivity is consistent and reliable,” Mahmood told AeroTime.
The interview came shortly before AWA took delivery of its first Embraer E190 on September 19, 2026, marking an important step in the Ghanaian carrier’s fleet expansion.
Abidjan relaunch signals renewed focus on regional connectivity
AWA resumed flights between Accra and Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, on August 31, 2026, restoring a connection suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The service operates four times weekly, on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays, as part of the airline’s efforts to strengthen links between Ghana and its West African neighbors.
For Mahmood, bringing back Abidjan required a careful assessment of the market, including changes in demand and the availability of services offered by other airlines.
“What was maybe a need in the past may not be a need today because it’s served by a competitor or a partner airline,” he explained.
AWA’s strategy has consequently evolved toward a hub-and-spoke model centered on Accra, allowing the airline to concentrate on dependable connections between regional destinations.
Mahmood acknowledged that the airline’s earlier approach had been more focused on providing connections wherever possible, even with the limitations imposed by its relatively small fleet.
“In the past it was a little bit different, where we tried our best to connect as many locations as possible with the fleet types and size that we had to ensure that Africans had some option,” he said.
With more air services now available across the region, he believes the priority should shift toward building a network that passengers can consistently rely on.
Embraer E190s offer capacity for underserved markets
Fleet selection is central to that strategy. Mahmood identified the fragmentation of West African aviation as a major consideration when deciding which aircraft can serve the region sustainably.
The airline has historically relied on the 50-seat Embraer ERJ-145 to operate its domestic and regional network. Its newly acquired E190, configured with 102 seats, more than doubles the passenger capacity available on an individual aircraft.
AWA’s first E190 arrived in Accra on September 19, 2026. A second aircraft is expected before the end of the year, with the carrier reportedly targeting a fleet of up to ten E190s over the following 18 to 24 months.
For Mahmood, acquiring larger aircraft is not simply a question of increasing capacity or demonstrating the airline’s ambitions.
“It is every COO’s or CCO’s dream to have a larger aircraft that can go from point A to point B and showcase the world what the airline is capable of,” he said. “But we have to be smart at some point.”
The challenge, he explained, is choosing aircraft that match the realities of West African markets, where demand is spread across numerous cities and routes may not justify the capacity of larger narrowbody jets.
“We have a vision, and to accomplish that vision, it doesn’t have to be the most spectacular, but the most realistic option.”
Mahmood sees the E190 as the logical successor to the ERJ-145 for the airline’s next phase of development, offering additional capacity while remaining suitable for regional operations.
He believes the aircraft will allow AWA to explore new revenue opportunities and underserved destinations without committing to capacity that would be difficult to sustain on a daily basis.
Accra first, then Central and East Africa
Although AWA has ambitions beyond its immediate region, Mahmood believes the airline must first establish a stronger network within West Africa.
“There’s no point dreaming continental Africa or worldwide before you’ve served your home, which is West Africa,” he said.
His immediate objective is to connect major cities along the West African coast through Accra, combining reliable schedules with the airline’s domestic network and existing commercial partnerships.
Only after establishing that foundation does Mahmood envisage expanding the airline’s reach farther across the continent.
Central and East Africa are among the regions he wants AWA to explore, while interline partnerships with carriers in Southern Africa could extend the airline’s network without requiring it to operate every route itself.
The longer-term ambition is to create what Mahmood described as “a web network that ensures that Africans are connected across this giant continent,” while also addressing the high cost of air travel in Africa.
From airline pilot to the executive suite
Beyond AWA’s expansion plans, Mahmood also reflected on his transition from flying aircraft to managing aviation businesses.
Becoming a pilot was his childhood ambition, and he subsequently gained aviation experience in Southern Africa before working in United Airlines’ training department, including with Boeing 787 flight simulators.
However, he never viewed flying as the only career he wanted to pursue.
“It was always to see what more could I give back to an industry that I truly love, whatever facet that may be,” Mahmood explained.
His career eventually took him through airfield operations, airline operations, flight schools, and technical training organizations before reaching executive management.
For those considering a career in aviation, Mahmood believes that experience illustrates the breadth of opportunities available beyond the cockpit.
“Don’t look at aviation as a one-stop shop for one particular type of career,” he advised. “Look at [it] as a very big industry that has a lot to offer.”