On this week’s episode of AvTalk, Russian president Vladimir Putin admits Russian air defenses damaged Azerbaijan Airlines flight 8243 before it crashed near Aktau in Kazakhstan. American Airlines unveils its centennial logo ahead of its 100th anniversary next year. More than half of Finnair’s A321 fleet is currently undergoing inspections after the seat covers were washed with water. And there’s money behind a bid to revive Pan Am, with a plan for a hub in Miami.
Helpful links for this week’s episode

* Data on J28243’s crash in Aktau
* American Airlines’ newest special livery retro jet, N735AT
* IATA’s Mark Searle WSOC speech on safety
* Finnair’s water woes
* Boeing’s new electronic standard for parts authentication

 
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Thank you so much for listening to AvTalk! Like the podcast? Have suggestions for future shows? Let us know by leaving a review or comment on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you listen to your podcasts. Reviews on iTunes not only help us make a better show, they help more people find the podcast! Want to send us additional feedback, just email us. And tell that friend who asked you for a podcast recommendation that AvTalk is the one they want to listen to next.

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On this episode of AvTalk, we discuss last week’s collision between two Endeavor Air CRJ-900s at La Guardia and what new video tells us about how it happened.
Similar to last time the US federal government shut down, focus is on the actions of air traffic controllers. While ATC work slowdowns are widely credited with ending the previous shutdown, there’s reason to believe the situation is different this time around.
An Air India 787’s ram air turbine deployed on approach to Birmingham, even though the jet’s engines were functioning normally. The Federation of Indian Pilots is calling for inspection of all Indian 787s as some commentators attempt to draw parallels to the crash of AI171.
Spirit Airlines is asking the court for approval to reject 87 more aircraft leases. The rejections, which would take place by the end of the month, would take the airline out of the A320neo family of aircraft entirely.
And the Airbus A320 family has just passed the 737 as the highest selling aircraft of all time.
Helpful links for this week’s episode

* CRJs collide in New York — data and video of the collision
* FAA National Airspace status page
* Air India RAT deployment flight
* Airbus A320 family vs Boeing 737 family operations, 2018-2025
* JetBlue’s new special “Isla del Bluencanto” special Puerto Rican heritage livery
* JSX “retro” livery

Thank you for listening!
Thank you so much for listening to AvTalk! Like the podcast? Have suggestions for future shows? Let us know by leaving a review or comment on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you listen to your podcasts. Reviews on iTunes not only help us make a better show, they help more people find the podcast! Want to send us additional feedback, just email us. And tell that friend who asked you for a podcast recommendation that AvTalk is the one they want to listen to next.

Please click here for a transcript of this episode.

On this week’s episode of AvTalk, we chat with Eliska Hill, Senior Vice President of Cargo for the UK and the rest of the world at Air Partner about the state of the cargo market, where recovery has come post-COVID, and how companies with something to ship are beginning to expect a different level of service.
In the Nordics, business is not booming with airlines PLAY and BRA’s Airbus division ending flights and the Greenland airports authority introduces restrictions that cripple Air Greenland’s operations in Nuuk.
Boeing begins thinking about possibly at some point, maybe, eventually building a new narrow body airplane. As for aircraft that are real, the FAA now says that Boeing can issue airworthiness certificates for some aircraft, some of the time.
After a gear-up landing by a SKYhigh Dominica E190 in Santo Domingo, we learn about the airports recent development of the runway’s adjacent taxiway for takeoffs and landings. And we probe the mystery a revived A380.
Helpful links for this week’s episode

* Wall Street Journal article on planning for Boeing’s new plane
* Spirit’s restructuring plan with lease rejections
* NTSB report on jammed printers and distracted controllers
* A whale of a mystery: what will happen to MSN 114?

Thank you for listening!
Thank you so much for listening to AvTalk! Like the podcast? Have suggestions for future shows? Let us know by leaving a review or comment on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you listen to your podcasts. Reviews on iTunes not only help us make a better show, they help more people find the podcast! Want to send us additional feedback, just email us. And tell that friend who asked you for a podcast recommendation that AvTalk is the one they want to listen to next.

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On this week’s episode of AvTalk, a Nouvelair flight almost lands on top of an easyJet A320 in Nice. In Aalborg, Copenhagen, and Oslo, reported drone sightings put a halt to flights. And we spend a lot of time in the low cost segment of the industry with fresh bad news for Spirit Airlines, Frontier’s CEO hitting back at United’s CEO and Ryanair’s move to all-digital boarding passes. Plus, Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren and Jason are back from their schnitzel-stop tour of European low-cost carriers to fill us in on the state of long-haul, low-cost across the Atlantic.
Helpful links for this week’s episode

* Nouvelair and easyJet in Nice
* FAA SAFO on cabin baggage
* N302PQ — Delta’s new tail CRJ-900

Thank you for listening!
Thank you so much for listening to AvTalk! Like the podcast? Have suggestions for future shows? Let us know by leaving a review or comment on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you listen to your podcasts. Reviews on iTunes not only help us make a better show, they help more people find the podcast! Want to send us additional feedback, just email us. And tell that friend who asked you for a podcast recommendation that AvTalk is the one they want to listen to next.

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On this week’s episode of AvTalk, a Spirit Airlines crew is slow to respond to a New York Center controller while in the same airspace as Air Force One, leading to some choice words from the controller. We break down what happened over Long Island.
Spirit Airlines tells its pilots union that it needs to find $100 million in savings by October 1 or risk seeking bankruptcy court invalidation of their contract. Meanwhile, United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby says United isn’t interested in Spirit’s assets.
The US Department of Transportation terminates Delta and Aeromexico’s joint venture, effective 1 January 2026. The FAA proposes fining Boeing $3.1 million for “hundreds” of safety violations dating back to 2023.
And after a runway overrun in July, both Air Peace 737 pilots test positive for alcohol, but that’s not why the Captain has been suspended.
Helpful links for this week’s episode

* ATC audio of Spirit Airlines and Air Force One episode over New York (relevant section begins at 22:45 into the recording)
* DOT terminates Delta + Aeromexico joint venture
* Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau preliminary report on Air Peace 5N-BQQ
* FAA proposes $3.1 million fine against Boeing
* Korean Air’s 777 to avoid

Thank you for listening!
Thank you so much for listening to AvTalk! Like the podcast? Have suggestions for future shows? Let us know by leaving a review or comment on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you listen to your podcasts. Reviews on iTunes not only help us make a better show, they help more people find the podcast! Want to send us additional feedback, just email us. And tell that friend who asked you for a podcast recommendation that AvTalk is the one they want to listen to next.

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On this week’s episode of AvTalk, we’re joined by The Up Front editor-in-chief John Walton to discuss the peculiar nature of the Premium Economy cabin on Air Côte d’Ivoire’s new A330neo and the wider issues with cabin certification across the industry.
Russian drones enter Polish airspace, triggering a response from NATO and shifting flights further from the border. A WestJet 737 suffers a hard landing at SXM. The NTSB releases its preliminary report on the Delta flight 56 turbulence incident. EMAS makes two saves in one day. And the Spanish airports authority hits back at Ryanair.
Helpful links for this week’s episode

* No seat, no stowage: The Up Front’s article on the new Air Côte d’Ivoire A330
* The Up Front 24% off subscription offer
* Westjet hard landing playback
* NTSB preliminary report on DL56
* EMAS saves at Chicago and Boca Raton
* AENA statement on Ryanair
*

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Thank you so much for listening to AvTalk! Like the podcast? Have suggestions for future shows? Let us know by leaving a review or comment on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you listen to your podcasts. Reviews on iTunes not only help us make a better show, they help more people find the podcast! Want to send us additional feedback, just email us. And tell that friend who asked you for a podcast recommendation that AvTalk is the one they want to listen to next.
 

On this week’s AvTalk, we discuss European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen’s flight to Plovdiv—from initial breathless reports talking of circling for hours, using paper maps to land and “praying for landing” to what the data actually tells us.
Spirit Airlines files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection for the second time in less than a year. Ryanair and the Spanish airports operator AENA are fighting, with Ryanair threatening to withdraw 1 million seats from Spain in the upcoming winter season.
And some good news for Embraer as the first E190-E2 goes to Australia and the E2 series wins certification in South Africa.
Helpful links for this week’s episode

* Von der Leyen’s flight to Plovdiv
* ICAO assembly agenda
* Southwest begins flying with secondary barriers
* Spirit files for Chapter 11 protection again
* FAA BVLOS rules for drones
* Become the FAA’s prime integrator

Thank you for listening!
Thank you so much for listening to AvTalk! Like the podcast? Have suggestions for future shows? Let us know by leaving a review or comment on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you listen to your podcasts. Reviews on iTunes not only help us make a better show, they help more people find the podcast! Want to send us additional feedback, just email us. And tell that friend who asked you for a podcast recommendation that AvTalk is the one they want to listen to next.

Please click here for a transcript of this week’s episode.

On this week’s episode of AvTalk, Nuuk, Greenland cancels international flights after security screeners need additional training. Korean Air signals its intent to purchase more than 100 Boeing aircraft, but most of the proposed order is for aircraft not yet certified. Reports are swirling that China is looking to make a massive order for both Airbus and Boeing aircraft. Frontier is taking steps to hasten Spirit’s demise. And authorities in Madagascar expand their investigation into five 777s illegally transferred to Iran off the Malagasy register.
Helpful links for this week’s episode

* Nuuk security screening problems
* Korean Air announcement
* Frontier’s new routes
* EASA VTOL noise regulations proposal

Thank you for listening!
Thank you so much for listening to AvTalk! Like the podcast? Have suggestions for future shows? Let us know by leaving a review or comment on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you listen to your podcasts. Reviews on iTunes not only help us make a better show, they help more people find the podcast! Want to send us additional feedback, just email us. And tell that friend who asked you for a podcast recommendation that AvTalk is the one they want to listen to next.

Please click here for a transcript of this episode.

On this week’s episode of AvTalk, United and Delta Air Lines face lawsuits for charging extra for window seats without a window. Serbian investigators reveal the extent of damages to a Marathon Airlines E195 during takeoff in Belgrade and the chain of errors leading up to the flight. A Finnair ATR (operated by NORRA) has an unfortunate incident with a ground power unit. Air Canada’s flight attendants return to work and a tentative agreement could be the first domino to fall in how flight attendants across the industry are paid.
Helpful links for this week’s episode

* Marathon Airlines report
* Finnair ATR photo
* Ryanair Seat 11A (no window)
* Spirit Airlines flight through (over) Hurricane Erin

Thank you for listening!
Thank you so much for listening to AvTalk! Like the podcast? Have suggestions for future shows? Let us know by leaving a review or comment on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you listen to your podcasts. Reviews on iTunes not only help us make a better show, they help more people find the podcast! Want to send us additional feedback, just email us. And tell that friend who asked you for a podcast recommendation that AvTalk is the one they want to listen to next.

Please click here for a transcript of this week’s episode.

On this week’s episode of AvTalk, Spirit Airlines’ second quarter earnings report raises “ongoing concern” concerns and paints a bleak portrait of the airline’s future. A French notification about a Swiss investigation tips us off to a close call by an Aegean A320neo from last November.
Brazilian investigators release their final report on the collision between a GOL 737 MAX and a truck on the runway and reveal the incredible sequence of events the prevented the accident from being much, much worse and also how it could have been avoided entirely.
The US DOT Office of Inspector General has launched an audit of the FAA’s airspace organization around DCA airport and the ADS-B exceptions provided to military aircraft.
Chile has agreed to drop the charges against Ethan Guo, the pilot who landed at Chile’s Antarctic base, but Guo is still stuck for the time being.
Helpful links for this week’s episode

* Spirit Airlines Q2 financial report
* Aegean Airlines flight
* GOL 737 MAX vs truck final report
* US DOT OIG audit announcement

Thank you for listening!
Thank you so much for listening to AvTalk! Like the podcast? Have suggestions for future shows? Let us know by leaving a review or comment on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you listen to your podcasts. Reviews on iTunes not only help us make a better show, they help more people find the podcast! Want to send us additional feedback, just email us. And tell that friend who asked you for a podcast recommendation that AvTalk is the one they want to listen to next.

Please click here for a transcript of this week’s episode.

On this week’s episode of AvTalk, what we learned from days two and three of the NTSB’s hearings on the midair collision at DCA. A Delta A330neo experiences severe turbulence, Boeing adds a new 777-9 to 777X test fleet, and Alaska Airlines unveils a new livery for its 787s. Plus, ANA retires the R2-D2 livery 787, the FAA releases proposed rules for beyond line of sight UAS operations, and Madagascar arrests two people over the transfer of a quintet of 777s to Iran.
Helpful links for this week’s episode

* Delta A330neo experiences turbulence
* Boeing’s fifth 777X flight test aircraft
* Cathay Pacific flights add up to 28 hours on a plane
* Alaska Airlines new 787 livery
* Nolinor’s “new” 737-200
* ANA retires R2-D2
* FAA NPRM for BVLOS UAS OPS
* 787 draws world’s largest self-portrait
* Wendover video on Scope Clause

Thank you for listening!
Thank you so much for listening to AvTalk! Like the podcast? Have suggestions for future shows? Let us know by leaving a review or comment on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you listen to your podcasts. Reviews on iTunes not only help us make a better show, they help more people find the podcast! Want to send us additional feedback, just email us. And tell that friend who asked you for a podcast recommendation that AvTalk is the one they want to listen to next.

Please click here for a transcript of this week’s episode.

On this episode of AvTalk, what we learned from the first of three days of investigative hearings by the NTSB into January’s crash at DCA. Russian investigators peel the layers of problems that led to the crash of a Gazpromavia SuperJet. An American Airlines 737 suffers a landing gear problem and fire in Denver.
In our strange new series there’s more animal-related aviation news this week and in honor of our 330th episode, Ian gives Jason a pop quiz on the Airbus A330.
Helpful links for this week’s episode

NTSB investigative hearings
Russian investigator’s report on the SuperJet crash
American Airlines 737 playback
OIG announcement
Nordwind flight to Pyongyang

Thank you for listening!
Thank you so much for listening to AvTalk! Like the podcast? Have suggestions for future shows? Let us know by leaving a review or comment on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you listen to your podcasts. Reviews on iTunes not only help us make a better show, they help more people find the podcast! Want to send us additional feedback, just email us. And tell that friend who asked you for a podcast recommendation that AvTalk is the one they want to listen to next.

Please click here for a transcript of this episode.

On this week’s episode of AvTalk, Ian returns from Europe and Jason returns from sitting and staring at the wall for a brand new episode. We discuss the conversation around the Air India flight 171 preliminary report, a close call in Mexico City, and another in Minot, North Dakota.
Plus, things are looking up for airlines awaiting Boeing 737 MAX deliveries, the NTSB issues a final report that raises questions about moose meat and the Ship to Theseus, and someone smuggles a turtle onto a flight.
Helpful links for this week’s episode

Air India flight 171 preliminary report
Data on close call in Mexico City
Air Force statement on Minot incident
NTSB report on Alaska crash

Thank you for listening!
Thank you so much for listening to AvTalk! Like the podcast? Have suggestions for future shows? Let us know by leaving a review or comment on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you listen to your podcasts. Reviews on iTunes not only help us make a better show, they help more people find the podcast! Want to send us additional feedback, just email us. And tell that friend who asked you for a podcast recommendation that AvTalk is the one they want to listen to next.

Please click here for a transcript of this episode.

On this week’s episode of AvTalk, Indian investigators narrow the focus of their investigation on the crashed 787’s fuel cut off switches. Lufthansa has quite the week with a damaged A340 in need of an unpressurized transatlantic ferry flight, a diverted 747 in South America, and a loose cat locked in a lavatory. A young pilot flies to Antarctica without authorization, raising the ire of the Chilean government. A man is ingested by a Volotea A319 engine in Milan and the NTSB releases its preliminary report on the close call between a Delta A319 and a flight of T-38s in Washington DC.
Helpful links for this week’s episode

* The Air Current’s report on the AI171 investigation
* Lufthansa A340 unpressurized transatlantic ferry flight
* Unauthorized flight to Antarctica
* Volotea flight in Milan
* NTSB Delta—T-38s preliminary report

Thank you for listening!
Thank you so much for listening to AvTalk! Like the podcast? Have suggestions for future shows? Let us know by leaving a review or comment on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you listen to your podcasts. Reviews on iTunes not only help us make a better show, they help more people find the podcast! Want to send us additional feedback, just email us. And tell that friend who asked you for a podcast recommendation that AvTalk is the one they want to listen to next.

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On this week’s episode of AvTalk, Indian investigators have downloaded the data from AI171’s recorders. Chinese authorities decline to release a report on China Southern flight 5735, citing threats to “national security and social stability.” A report on the Heathrow power station fire makes clear that it should have never happened. And a US Air Force base is being overrun by squirrels… again.
Helpful links for this week’s episode

* China Eastern Airlines flight 5735 data and report announcement
* BBC summary of Heathrow transformer fire report
* Mexicana’s first E195-E2
* EASA’s take-off performance monitoring system (TOPMS) proposal
* Task & Purpose’s piece on squirrels at Minot Air Force Base

Thank you for listening!
Thank you so much for listening to AvTalk! Like the podcast? Have suggestions for future shows? Let us know by leaving a review or comment on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you listen to your podcasts. Reviews on iTunes not only help us make a better show, they help more people find the podcast! Want to send us additional feedback, just email us. And tell that friend who asked you for a podcast recommendation that AvTalk is the one they want to listen to next.

Click here for transcript of this week’s episode.

On this week’s episode of AvTalk, we discuss all that has happened in Middle East airspace over the past week—from the US attack on Iranian nuclear facilities and elaborate diversion flights to the Iranian retaliation against US bases in Qatar and the subsequent airspace restrictions to the fragile cease fire and the gradual opening of airways.
We also ponder why nearly two weeks after the crash of Air India flight 171, investigators have still not reviewed the data from the flight data recorders even as both were recovered just days after the crash. And the NTSB holds its probable cause board meeting for the mid-cabin exit door plug blowout aboard Alaska Airlines flight 1282, find that Boeing’s safety culture and the FAA’s lax oversight contributed to the door plug’s ejection from the aircraft as it passed 15,000 feet last January.
Helpful links for this week’s episode

* The B-2 tanker diversion
* NTSB probable cause summary for Alaska 1282

Thank you for listening!
Thank you so much for listening to AvTalk! Like the podcast? Have suggestions for future shows? Let us know by leaving a review or comment on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you listen to your podcasts. Reviews on iTunes not only help us make a better show, they help more people find the podcast! Want to send us additional feedback, just email us. And tell that friend who asked you for a podcast recommendation that AvTalk is the one they want to listen to next.

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On this week’s episode of AvTalk, we discuss the crash of Air India flight 171 shortly after take off from Ahmedabad last week. What we know, what we don’t know, and possible avenues of investigation. We also examine the situation in the Middle East to see what effects current hostilities between Iran and Israel are having on commercial aviation. And we dig into the order numbers from this week’s Paris Air Show.
Helpful links for this week’s episode

* Flightradar24 data regarding Air India 171
* Airspace closures in the Middle East
* Paris Air Show news round up

Thank you for listening!
Thank you so much for listening to AvTalk! Like the podcast? Have suggestions for future shows? Let us know by leaving a review or comment on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you listen to your podcasts. Reviews on iTunes not only help us make a better show, they help more people find the podcast! Want to send us additional feedback, just email us. And tell that friend who asked you for a podcast recommendation that AvTalk is the one they want to listen to next.

Please click here for a transcript of this week’s episode.

On this week’s episode of AvTalk, Silver Airways ceases operations immediately and Qantas says subsidiary Jetstar Asia will wind down flights by the end of July. The NTSB releases the preliminary report on the American Airlines 737 fire in Denver. May was a big month for Boeing, with more than 300 orders, while Airbus recorded orders for precisely 0 aircraft. This month’s Paris Air Show has the potential to close the gap.
Southwest is looking at “monetizing its order book,” while American Airlines sends the wrong 787 to Naples. And Condor operates five flights in a failed attempt to get passengers from Zurich to Heraklion.
Note: this episode was recorded prior to the crash of Air India flight 171 on 12 June. Our discussion of the crash will be available in episode 325 next week.
Helpful links for this week’s episode

* Silver Airways ceases operations
* American Airlines 737 Denver Fire NTSB preliminary report
* US restricting aerospace component exports to China
* American Airlines sends the wrong 787 to Naples
* Condor’s five flights to nowhere, A320 D-AICA
* NTSB 3-day hearing scheduled for July 31-August 2

Thank you for listening!
Thank you so much for listening to AvTalk! Like the podcast? Have suggestions for future shows? Let us know by leaving a review or comment on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you listen to your podcasts. Reviews on iTunes not only help us make a better show, they help more people find the podcast! Want to send us additional feedback, just email us. And tell that friend who asked you for a podcast recommendation that AvTalk is the one they want to listen to next.

Please click here for a transcript of this week’s episode.

On this week’s episode of AvTalk, Airbus’ Montreal final assembly line is invaded by a family of raccoons. Newark reopens its main runway a few days early as airlines and the FAA jostle over flight cuts. United and JetBlue announce their Blue Sky partnership, while the IATA annual general meeting generates announcements of its own. A Condor flight misses Munich’s curfew by mere seconds and Air India reveals how much flying around Pakistan is costing the airline.
Helpful links for this week’s episode

* Condor diversion due to missed curfew
* Global Airlines LinkedIn post addressing recent media

Thank you for listening!
Thank you so much for listening to AvTalk! Like the podcast? Have suggestions for future shows? Let us know by leaving a review or comment on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you listen to your podcasts. Reviews on iTunes not only help us make a better show, they help more people find the podcast! Want to send us additional feedback, just email us. And tell that friend who asked you for a podcast recommendation that AvTalk is the one they want to listen to next.

Click here for a transcript of this week’s episode.

On this episode of AvTalk, Ian and Jason and back home from Stockholm and ready to take on the week’s news. The NTSB is out with a handful of reports, including details on the FedEx 767 bird strike in Newark, Frontier’s hard landing and go around in San Juan, and Alaska Airlines’ main landing gear collapse. We also discuss the crash of a Cessna Citation in San Diego last week.
Plus, Boeing says it has a fix for the 777X thrust link problem, which grounded the test fleet for months.
Helpful links for this week’s episode

* FedEx 767 birdstrike preliminary report
* Frontier A321neo hard landing and go around
* Delta 717 nose gear collapse
* Delta 717 engine problems
* Alaska severe turbulence
* Alaska main landing gear collapse
* Rockwell Turbo Encabulator (original)

Thank you for listening!
Thank you so much for listening to AvTalk! Like the podcast? Have suggestions for future shows? Let us know by leaving a review or comment on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you listen to your podcasts. Reviews on iTunes not only help us make a better show, they help more people find the podcast! Want to send us additional feedback, just email us. And tell that friend who asked you for a podcast recommendation that AvTalk is the one they want to listen to next.

Please check back soon for a transcript of this week’s episode.