Episodes

On this episode of AvTalk, Ian heads to Bordeaux to experience weightlessness aboard the Novespace / Air Zero G A310 with the German Aerospace Research Center. Novespace chairman and former astronaut Jean-François Clervoy explains the idea behind parabolic flight and pilot Bertrand Rameau teaches us how to fly a parabola in the A310. Plus, Russian airlines go on a shopping spree, and Rolls Royce bursts Booms bubble, saying they won’t be producing an engine for the supersonic jet. Getting to Bor...

On this episode of AvTalk, Jason makes his way down to Washington on the CRJ-550, Ian prepares for the ride of a lifetime, a pair of Air France pilots duke it out mid-flight, and an aircraft sale that came as a big surprise. See Gabriel Leigh’s review of the CRJ-550 here. Simulating space with an Airbus A310 On Tuesday, 6 September, Ian will join the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and Novespace in France to fly on the specially modified Airbus A310 as part of a parabolic flight campaign. The p...

On this week’s episode of AvTalk, Brett Snyder from Crankyflier joins us to discuss his analysis of American Airlines’ order for up to 60 of Boom’s supersonic jets. Plus, big moves by US regional airlines, Aha! declares bankruptcy, and Happy Airways wants you to help get them off the ground. Air Wisconsin moving to American American Airlines has contracted regional carrier Air Wisconsin for up to 60 CRJ-200s beginning in March 2023. This is a big switch for Air Wisconsin, which currently opera...

On this week’s episode of AvTalk, we try our hand a quick summer break, but can’t fully get away from the news. For that, Airline Weekly editor and AvTalk’s chief short answer correspondent drops by for a brief comment on American Airlines’ order for Boom’s supersonic jet. Digital towers revisited And we revisit our conversation with Andy Taylor, Chief Solutions Officer, Digital Towers from NATS, the UK’s air navigation service provider. Andy explains how digital towers are reducing controller...

On this episode of AvTalk, Boeing resumes deliveries of the 787 after more than a year, Russia begins stripping planes for parts, and a Southwest flight makes a landing hard enough to fracture a flight attendant’s vertebra. Boeing resumes 787 deliveries Boeing delivered its first 787 in more than a year this week, sending a 787-8 home with American Airlines. The FAA approved of Boeing’s plan for rework and quality control, but will still issue the airworthiness certificate for individual 787s ...

On this episode of AvTalk, SPAR19 becomes the most tracked flight of all time, a bizarre mystery surrounds a tragic flight, and Seth Miller joins us to explain the proposed passenger refund rules from the US Department of Transportation. SPAR19 becomes Flightradar24’s most tracked flight ever The flight of a US Air Force C-40 from Kuala Lumpur to Taipei was followed by nearly 3 million people throughout the flight and more than 700,000 as it landed in Taiwan. We discuss the significance of the...

On this week’s episode of AvTalk, one chapter of the saga of Spirit Airlines comes to a close and another begins. We review the second quarter results for Boeing and Airbus and note some common themes. And we’re joined by Matt Chaifetz, CEO of Contour Airlines, to discuss the airline’s unique position as a public charter carrier offering mostly essential air service flights on well-appointed Embraer jets. Spirit turns its lonely eyes to Blue Spirit shareholders voted down Frontier’s merger pro...

On this week’s episode of AvTalk, we recap the Farnborough Airshow, where the biggest news wasn’t aircraft orders, but the possible next generation of aircraft. A Meridian An-12BK crashes in Greece. And airports in Europe continue to cut flights as air...

On this week’s episode of AvTalk, we add extreme heat to the unpleasantness of this summer’s travel woes, one flight comes within six feet of a much different ending, and we begin a new special segment to stay up to date on merger news. The smoldering summer of suck becomes the sweltering summer of suck Airlines and airports continue to look for solutions to travel woes, with middling success. But Icelandair has come up with a way to ensure its Amsterdam flights operate on time: they’re sendin...

On this episode of AvTalk, Chinese airlines place a massive Airbus order, a holey Emirates A380, and the smoldering summer of suck rolls on as airlines continue to scramble to trim flights and resize their schedules. Chinese airlines order 300 Airbus aircraft Chinese airlines combined for an order of nearly 300 Airbus A320neo family aircraft. We discuss who ordered what and when the airlines will start taking delivery. The holey Emirates A380 An Emirates A380 en route from Dubai to Brisbane ...

On this week’s episode of AvTalk, it’s a good week to be an A380, JetBlue and Frontier go another round over Spirit, and Air New Zealand officially announces the SkyNest is coming. The A380 is dead, long live the A380 Asiana Airlines and Korean Air put a few of their A380s back in service this week and the big announcement came from Lufthansa, which says it will return the double-decker to service from summer 2023. JetBlue and Frontier go another round Frontier increased its offer, then JetB...

On this episode of AvTalk, a RED Air MD-82 goes off the runway in Miami, JetBlue puts up more money for Spirit, the first 100% SAF flight, and Laurence Hambrook, Flightradar24’s product team lead joins us for a sneak peek at what’s coming up next. RED Air MD-82 goes off the runway in Miami A RED Air MD-82 suffered a landing gear collapse and slid off the runway in Miami. Then, while the plane was on fire, passengers stopped to get their luggage before evacuating. JetBlue sweetens its Spirit o...

On this episode of AvTalk, Ian heads to Stockholm, while Jason is joined by Seth Miller in Hamburg for the Aircraft Interiors Expo. We preview some of the innovations from the expo, including one that promises to make your seat less swampy and one that none of us want to see on an airline any time soon. How much patience do I need to pack? As we’ve said before, getting through the airport is going to be rough this summer. But how rough is it? We break down where things are working and where th...

On this week’s episode of AvTalk, Spirit pulls its vote after JetBlue sweetens its offer. More airlines are proactively canceling flights to avoid disruptions this summer. And could SAS be the new Alitalia? Spirit delays merger vote after fresh JetBlue offer Spirit Airlines delayed the planned vote on Frontier’s offer to buy the airline after JetBlue returned with a fresh offer. We discuss what’s changed — and what hasn’t. Airlines increase preemptive flight cancellations Lufthansa became th...

On this episode of AvTalk, we’re joined once again by journalist John Walton to understand the problems we’re seeing at airports mainly in Europe as passengers are waiting hours to check in and clear security.

On this episode of AvTalk, Jet Airways gets its AOC, Lufthansa and MSC Group bid for ITA Airways, and Boeing implements a new safety system. Jet Airways returns A reincarnated Jet Airways received its operating certificate this week. The airline originally ceased operations in 2019. Lufthansa and MSC Group bid for ITA Airways Lufthansa and shipping group MSC have jointly bid for 80% of ITA Airways, leaving the Italian government with a 20% stake in the airline. MSC Group would take 60% to Lu...

On this episode of AvTalk, CNBC airline reporter Leslie Josephs returns to update us on the the latest in JetBlue’s battle to take over Spirit Airlines. Plus, updates on the incredible landing by a passenger in Florida last week, and a new report out this week points to intentional action in the crash of China Eastern 5735. Update on the Florida passenger landing Last week a passenger landed a Cessna in Palm Beach after the pilot became incapacitated. This week we learned that the pilot was sa...

On this episode of AvTalk, a passenger lands a Cessna 208 Caravan in Florida after the pilot becomes incapacitated. Republic wants a change in how pilots can earn their certificates. And there’s more consolidation coming to South American airlines. An update on the breaking news regarding the Tibet Airlines A319. Everyone made it off the aircraft safely. It will however, not be flying again. Passenger lands plane after pilot becomes incapacitated A passenger aboard a Cessna 208 Caravan flying...

On this episode of AvTalk, Qantas orders its Project Sunrise fleet from Airbus, Spirit Airlines says no to JetBlue, and Airbus releases its first quarter results. Project Sunrise Qantas ordered 12 A350-1000s for Project Sunrise this week, but they’re no ordinary A350s. We detail how these aircraft will stand out from the rest of the fleet and we dig in to the other aircraft orders the airline placed this week. Spirit rebuffs JetBlue offer Spirit Airlines has turned down an offer from JetBlue...

On this week’s episode of AvTalk, a confidential report hypothesizes cigarettes and leaking oxygen brought down EgyptAir flight 804, French investigators provide an update on Air France flight 11, and Boeing releases its first quarter earnings and guidance on its aircraft programs. Cigarettes and Oxygen don’t mix In May 2016, EgyptAir flight 804 crashed into the Mediterranean Sea en route from Paris to Cairo. Preliminary findings, based on evidence retrieved from the black boxes and analyzed b...

On this episode of AvTalk, the US transport mask mandate is struck down, Chinese investigators offer an update on MU5735, and if recent events are any guide, airline operations are in for a rough summer. The masks come off We discuss the ruling this week that struck down the US transport mask mandate. The crux of it: please be kind to everyone. CAAC update on MU5735 Chinese investigators released a statement the China Eastern 5735 investigation’s progress. We discuss the additional details w...

On this episode of AvTalk, Ned Russell joins us to discuss how airlines are expanding passenger rail and bus connections. We also recap what we know about last week’s DHL 757 runway overrun in San Jose, Costa Rica. And the European Union adds nearly two dozen Russian airlines to its list of banned airlines. DHL Aero Expreso 757 goes off the runway A DHL Aero Expreso 757 broke in two after exiting the runway area while making an emergency return to San Jose, Costa Rica following a hydraulic fai...

On this episode of AvTalk, CNBC airline reporter Leslie Josephs joins us to discuss JetBlue’s surprise bid for Spirit Airlines. Plus, we pull up a beach towel and take a good long look at Condor’s new livery. NTSB helping download China Eastern flight recorders Chinese investigators sent at least one of the data recorders from China Eastern 5735 to the NTSB lab in Washington last week. Recorder specialists there are working to retrieve the data from the Cockpit Voice Recorder to understand wha...

On this episode of AvTalk, we get an update on the investigation into the crash of China Eastern Airlines flight 5735, lessors begin filing insurance claims for aircraft trapped in Russia, and a LATAM A320 joins the twisted gear club. China Eastern 5735 updates Both the Cockpit Voice Recorder and Flight Data Recorder have been recovered, but now the data must be safely extracted. We also discuss the status of the investigation and the ICAO Annex 13 participants. Russian airlines miss deadline...