On this week’s episode of AvTalk, Jason joins Ian in Chicago for a face to face conversation, which also means it’s a self-edited show this week.
The preliminary report on the Swiftair 737 crash in Vilnius looks to human factors as investigators probe how and why one of the aircraft’s hydraulic systems was shut off during the approach. Delta Air Lines is the first major US airline to report quarterly earnings this year and the statements from Delta CEO Ed Bastian do not paint a pretty picture, “With broad economic uncertainty around global trade, growth has largely stalled.”
Airline CEOs elsewhere lost their jobs this week, including at Air Baltic and Spirit Airlines. And lessors, airlines, and aircraft component specialists are ramping up their cannibalization of young aircraft in the face of supply constraints.
Helpful links for this week’s episode

* Swiftair 737 crash preliminary report
* Delta Air Lines Q1 2025 earnings
* Our previous conversations with former Air Baltic CEO Martin Gauss
* NTSB safety recommendation report on bannis latches

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Check back soon for a transcript of this episode.