Sydney Airport’s CEO has claimed domestic aviation recovery has been “stagnant” since April last year, with passenger numbers still 17 per cent down compared to pre-pandemic. In this week’s episode, host Adam Thorn is joined by new team member Chris Fenton to discuss exactly what’s going wrong. Airlines are claiming the situation is out of their hands, but couldn’t they use their record profits to bring airfares down? And what do frontline staff think of the slowdown that’s left many...

Air Vice-Marshal Paul Godfrey is a British RAF fighter pilot who rose up the ranks to head the country’s first military Space Command. In this special interview from the Avalon Airshow, AVM Godfrey tells Adam Thorn how he made the transition from the skies to the stars. The pair discuss the challenges and opportunities of creating a military space division, why it’s important for the UK and Australia to collaborate, and how satellites will continue to change life on Earth. 

Little Wings is a brilliant charity that flies sick children from regional areas into the city for treatment. The service can be life-changing for families who would previously face arduous and stressful journeys. On this week’s show, the organisation’s CEO, Clare Pearson, talks to host Adam Thorn about how it works. For more information and to donate, please visit littlewings.org.au.

Brett Pierson is the president and CEO of Textron Aviation Defense and previously served in the US Navy for 30 years, including being a wing commander and combat pilot. Textron Aviation is a major player in defence globally and has delivered more than 14,500 aircraft to countries around the world. In this special episode for AVALON 2023, Pierson talks through Textron Aviation’s recent work across both defence and special missions, as well as how the process works to develop a new aircraft...

Angela Garvey has more than 30 years of aviation industry experience as a commercial pilot, general aviation business owner, aviation safety professional and airport manager.  But a fatal plane crash in her skydiving business in 2006 served as a 'stop moment' in her life.  Years later, she's used her experience to set up 'Navigating Aviation', a confidential counselling and support service tailored for the aviation community and their families.  In this episode, Garvey talks about how the...

Perhaps no single aircraft has changed Australia more than the 747, which opened up cheap international travel to millions of people.   In this week’s show, acclaimed aviation writer Jim Eames talks about his latest book, The Mighty 747, which examines how Boeing’s Jumbo Jet did it.   Eames tells host Adam Thorn why the aircraft is held in such affection by the industry, why Aussies are so fascinated with Qantas and whether double-decker aircraft have a future in the post-pandemic world. 

After a months-long wait, Bonza this month finally received its crucial licence to fly from CASA. Now, the airline’s CEO, Tim Jordan, tells host Adam Thorn how the business navigated the last six months and what the future looks like. The pair discuss keeping prices low despite surging airfares in Australia, competing in the brutal domestic market and the advantage of flying with the MAX. Finally, Jordan reveals why Bonza’s unique branding gives it an edge against Qantas, Rex and Virgin. 

In this special Christmas episode, returning host Phil Tarrant and Adam Thorn discuss what went right and wrong for international aviation in 2022. The pair discuss the sluggish return of tourists, lack of capacity and sky-high prices in commercial travel, alongside the gobsmacking unveiling of the B-21 Raider. Finally, they also stare into the future to predict what 2023 will bring.

In this special episode of Australian Aviation podcast, shadow minister for cyber security and shadow minister for countering foreign interference, Senator James Paterson joins Phil Tarrant (director - Momentum Media) and MAJGEN (retired) Dr Marcus Thompson to discuss the regulatory impediments preventing Australia from becoming a leader in cyber security. The group begins the podcast discussing the cyber security threats facing Australia and the role of the Australian Security Intelligence...

Former Australian Aviation Podcast host Phil Tarrant returns in this special episode to review the year in domestic travel with regular Adam Thorn.   And what a year it’s been, as the pair discuss crazy delays at airports, record profits and spiralling airfares.   Plus, the pair get stuck into what the future holds as we move into 2023 and travel edges closer to a pre-COVID normal.

In this special episode, Defence Connect’s Liam Garman and Australian Aviation’s Adam Thorn discuss the biggest military stories this year.   The pair talk about the success of the F-35 program as it nears completion, reports of ex-RAAF pilots training Chinese military personnel and the axing of the SkyGuardian project.   Finally, the hosts debate the most contentious talking point of 2022: was Australia really correct to change the name of Loyal Wingman to Ghost Bat?

Peter Newington is the newly appointed managing director of aviation and critical services at Babcock Australasia.   In this special episode, Newington discusses the importance of leadership and why it matters in the kind of high-pressure situations Babcock personnel find themselves in.   He also talks to host Adam Thorn about his career as a British Army pilot and how the lessons learned helped shape his management approach.   Finally, the pair examine the long-term goals of the...

Marek Bekier is a senior vice president at ACR Aviation Capacity Resources, which manages air traffic at 17 Swedish airports. In this special episode in partnership with UNSW’s School of Aviation, Bekier talks to Australian Aviation’s Adam Thorn about what a career in air traffic control is really like, alongside its challenges. The pair talk about why we need to move on from monopoly operations and how a free-market approach can work. They also discuss how ATC needs to evolve in a world...

In this special episode, the editors of Defence Connect and Australian Aviation, Liam Garman and Adam Thorn, talk through the biggest industry topics. First up, they discuss the need for long-range strike capability, with tensions in the region rising and Australia short of options. Next, they ask how this should happen. Should the country invest in the ‘sequel’ to the B-2, the B-21, or plump for conventional long-range missiles? Finally, they discuss the importance of US B-52s being...

Domestic travel in Australia may have bounced back to pre-pandemic highs, but our international passenger traffic is still far down on 2019. In this special episode, Adelaide Airport’s MD, Brenton Cox, talks through how his organisation coped during those tough COVID-19 days and what we got right and wrong. He tells host Adam Thorn that we must learn the lessons of 2020 for the future and argues that state border closures should have been decided by the federal government rather than state...

Like a phoenix rising from the flames, Hannah Dowling returns in her new role as US correspondent to talk about her latest story. She tells host Adam Thorn how and why US airlines are taking Australian pilots in such numbers. The pair discuss what Australia can do to stem the tide, the balance between developing young talent and importing them, and the perks of going abroad. Finally, they chat about how COVID-19 and its restrictions exacerbated the problem for Australia.

Our aviation industry has been long grappling with a chronic lack of engineering talent — with COVID-19 exacerbating the problem. On this week’s episode, Adam Thorn talks to the RAAA, which last week released a report identifying the causes behind our shortages and what we can do to fix them. Report author Sheridan Austin and the RAAA’s CEO Steve Campbell discuss why businesses must invest in hiring more apprentices and why rules on transferring qualifications from abroad need to be...

Australian Aviation attended last week’s Land Forces military exhibition in Brisbane and interviewed two guests on the floor. Jay Macklin had a storied military career that saw him fly Black Hawks before rising to become a colonel in the US Army. He’s now a director based in Alabama for Lockheed Martin, and discusses his flying days, as well as the aircraft’s future. Finally, we’re joined by Australian Aviation’s rotary wing pilot of the year, Richard Butterworth. He chats about how Kestrel...

Greg Hay is the General Manager of Operations at Sydney Airport. Over the last few years, he’s seen first-hand how our industry has changed before, during and after COVID-19 at Australia’s busiest and most important international airport. In this special episode in partnership with UNSW’s School of Aviation, Hay talks through navigating aviation’s toughest period but also how the industry is building back better and is on the cusp of an exciting new world of electric technologies and...

It sounds mad, but it’s real: Virgin Orbit has perfected audacious technology to fire rockets from refurbished Boeing 747s. Speaking exclusively from LA, the business’ CEO, Dan Hart, tells the Australian Aviation Podcast how the plan will open satellite launches up to more countries by turning airports into spaceports. The pair also discuss how the technology works, the company’s ambition to launch imminently in the UK, and how Hart works with Virgin Group founder Richard Branson.

Andrew Charlton is the managing director of Aviation Advocacy, a consultancy firm based in Switzerland.   His exhaustive CV includes stints as chief legal officer of Qantas before heading government affairs for the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and working as a university lecturer in airport economics, management and policy.  In this special episode in partnership with UNSW’s School of Aviation, Charlton discusses how the industry should best navigate its tricky...

Hypersonic research has become one of the biggest topics in global aviation, as countries compete to develop the next generation of missiles so manoeuvrable, they can’t be intercepted. The advances are also being used to create scramjet-powered, hypersonic spaceplanes, which could one day provide an alternative to rockets for taking satellites into space. In this special episode, host Adam Thorn interviews Dr Fabian Zander, a key player in the University of Southern Queensland’s...

Dogged reporter, podcast host, and writer with total disrespect for word counts: Hannah Dowling made quite the impression during her two years at Australian Aviation. As she leaves for a new life in the US, she sits down with co-host Adam Thorn to talk through her favourite moments. The pair also find time to discuss the latest stories, including the ongoing talent shortage in the industry and the arrival of B-2s at Base Amberley. Finally, Hannah discusses her investigation into...

This week has seen Qantas in the headlines again over poor service, flight disruptions, and a new program that would see its corporate executives moving passenger baggage. In this episode of the Australian Aviation Podcast, hosts Adam Thorn and Hannah Dowling discuss the latest of Qantas’ woes as staff shortages take their toll. Plus, the team discusses Bonza’s first 737 MAX, which officially touched down on Australian shores ahead of its grand launch in the coming weeks. Finally, get...