Episodes
On this week’s episode of AvTalk, we discuss the Crowd Strike outage and why it took Delta Air Lines so much longer than everyone else to get their operations back on track. The FAA is increasing scrutiny of Southwest Airlines after a third low descent incident in just four months—this time a flight approaching Tampa was as low as 150 feet nearly 5 miles from the runway. A Saurya Airlines CRJ-200 crashes on departure in Kathmandu we discuss what we know so far. As Airbus celebrates EASA...
Published 07/26/24
Published 07/26/24
On this week’s episode, Ian heads to the basement because TORNADO is in the METAR. And it’s finally some good news for Boeing as the 777-9 begins certification test flights. A Gazpromavia Superjet crashes outside of Moscow and we learn more about the incident a few weeks ago where a Southwest flight departed on a closed runway. Helpful links * BEA report on 9H-EMU incident in Paris Thank you for listening! Thank you so much for listening to AvTalk! Like the podcast? Have suggestions...
Published 07/19/24
On this week’s episode of AvTalk, Boeing agrees to plead guilty to felony charges, the NTSB issues its preliminary report on the Southwest Airlines flight that experienced “Dutch roll,” and two CRJ-900s come closer than they should have in Syracuse. Plus, a pair of Air India Express engine problems, Delta and Riyadh Air’s surprising new partnership, and the catering on one Delta flight was bad—very, very bad. Thank you for listening! Thank you so much for listening to AvTalk! Like the...
Published 07/12/24
On this week’s episode of AvTalk, what Boeing did to earn a sanction from the NTSB. What the weekend may hold for Boeing’s legal troubles. Boeing and Airbus agree to deals to acquire Spirit Aerosystem’s operations. And Air Europa flight 45 experiences turbulence bad enough to toss a passenger into the ceiling space above the overhead bins. Helpful links * NTSB statment on Boeing sanctions * Boeing agreement to acquire Spirit Aerosystems * Airbus agreement to acquire Spirit Aerosystems’...
Published 07/05/24
On this week’s episode of AvTalk, Boeing, Airbus, and Spirit Aerosystems near a deal to bring Spirit back into the Boeing fold. Another Southwest 737 flew too low, this time in Oklahoma City. The NTSB releases its preliminary report on UA28’s uncontained engine failure on 14 May. And Seoul’s Incheon Airport was closed for a few hours this week because of balloons filled with trash sent aloft by North Korea. Thank you for listening! Thank you so much for listening to AvTalk! Like the...
Published 06/28/24
On this week’s episode of AvTalk, Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun is back in front of Congress. A trio of stories involving Southwest Airlines, including an apparent incidence of Dutch roll, a roller coast ride off the coast of Hawaii, and a system on the CFM LEAP engines that pilots apparently didn’t know about. And investigators are trying to understand how counterfeit titanium made it into Airbus and Boeing aircraft. Thank you for listening! Thank you so much for listening to AvTalk! Like the...
Published 06/21/24
On this week’s episode of AvTalk, Air India and IndiGO A320neos come close enough for authorities to open an investigation. We detail the sequence of events and why this incident received any attention at all. The NTSB released two final reports this week, detailing the probable cause of two near collisions in New York and Austin. And our resident numbers expert Gavin Werbeloff is here to explain Elliott Investment Management’s new 11% stake in Southwest Airlines, what they want for their...
Published 06/14/24
On this week’s episode of AvTalk, Jason flies from Germany to New York just to record the podcast and you can barely tell he’s been awake for nearly 24 hours. And in the news, Boeing provides the FAA its plan for renewed engineering excellence, the IATA annual general meeting takes place in Dubai with plenty to discuss, and Mexicana puts in its first aircraft order. Thank you for listening! Thank you so much for listening to AvTalk! Like the podcast? Have suggestions for future shows? Let...
Published 06/07/24
On this week’s episode of AvTalk, investigators in Singapore release their preliminary findings for the turbulence encountered by SQ321. And Jason is joined by Seth Miller in Hamburg as we review the news from this year’s Aircraft Interiors Expo to see what innovations could be coming to an airplane near you in the a few year’s time. 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 on...
Published 05/31/24
On this week’s episode of AvTalk, we discuss the extreme turbulence encountered by Singapore Airlines’ flight SQ321 that led to the death of one passenger and serious injuries to dozens of others. We also focus on how media reporting got the story wrong for so long. We also discuss the crash of the helicopter carrying the president of Iran and the curious pattern by the Turkish UCAV sent to search for the crash site. Elsewhere, Frontier is crafting a new way to sell fares and ancillary...
Published 05/24/24
On this episode of AvTalk, the US Department of Justice finds Boeing violated the terms of its 2021 deferred prosecution agreement and Congress passes the FAA reauthorization and we dig in to see what’s inside. Plus IndiGo could expand its fleet even further with an order for 100 regional aircraft. 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 on iTunes. Reviews on iTunes not only help...
Published 05/17/24
On this week’s episode of AvTalk, employees at Boeing’s 787 assembly facility in South Carolina were falsifying inspection records. Spirit Aerosystems loses nearly as much in the first quarter of 2024 as it did in all of 2023, Alaska Airlines gets some Boeing store credit, and Emirates announces where it will send its new A350s first. 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 on...
Published 05/10/24
On this week’s episode of AvTalk, we learn that Embraer is considering a challenge to the Airbus-Boeing duopoly with a new mainline single-aisle aircraft of its own. Indigo orders up to 100 Airbus A350s, while Airbus navigates Boeing’s potential purchase of Spirit Aerosystems and what that means for the A350 fuselage sections and A220 wings Spirit produces. Finnair suspends flights to Tartu, Estonia due to GPS interference. Lessors get a win in their battle to get their aircraft back from...
Published 05/03/24
On this week’s episode, we welcome current commercial pilot and former RAF captain Scott Bateman to discuss his new book, Hercules: First in. Last Out. The story of an RAF legend. Listen now to find out how to enter to win a copy of Scott’s book. We also discuss a pair of runway incursion incidents last week from New York and Washington DC. Plus, Boeing’s narrowed first quarter loss, the UK AAIB’s final report on G-OATW’s melted windows, and Chilean investigators issue their preliminary...
Published 04/26/24
On this week’s episode of AvTalk, escalating retaliatory attacks between Iran and Israel and their effects on global air travel, congressional hearings sharpen the focus on Boeing’s problems, and United Airlines makes big changes to its order book. Plus, we’ve got stolen gold, expensive eels, and a unique competition. 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 on iTunes. Reviews on...
Published 04/19/24
Thousands of extra planes take to the skies and New Jersey experiences an earthquake. And that’s just through Monday this week. We then hear from a fresh whistleblower at Boeing who alleges that some 787 and 777 aircraft could experience structural failures. Plus, the NTSB issues its preliminary report on the United flight that went off the runway in Houston, Spirit Airlines announces pilot furloughs, and a Southwest 737 loses its engine cowling. Thank you for listening! Thank you so much...
Published 04/12/24
On this week’s episode of AvTalk, a plane crash lands and then crashes into another plane that crashed a few months earlier. Pratt and Whitney may have a new problem on their hands. The FAA’s mental health panel makes its recommendations. And the French pilot union is calling for a strike to protest a proposed law that would limit their ability to strike. Helpful links for this week’s episode * Photos of the Safe Air 727 after crash landing in Malakal * JetBlue’s stricken A321neo *...
Published 04/05/24
On this week’s episode of AvTalk, we welcome AIN Media Group editor-in-chief Matt Thurber to discuss how the aviation industry is reacting to GPS spoofing and jamming. Plus, major leadership changes at Boeing could take the company in a new direction. And the FAA continues to clamp down, this time taking a closer look at United’s operations after string of recent incidents. But has the agency gone too far? Helpful links from this week’s episode * Matt Thurber’s excellent article on GPS...
Published 03/29/24
On this episode of AvTalk, an update on the inflight upset experienced by a LATAM 787, the problem with popular media’s hyper focus on aviation incidents, and we dig in to the report detailing what actually happened when an errant flight plan shut down UK airspace last August. Plus, we discuss Flightradar24’s new GPS jamming map. Helpful links and reading for this week’s episode * The Air Current: Pilot seat movement at center of LATAM 787-9 dive investigation * Are flights squawking...
Published 03/22/24
On this episode of AvTalk, Batik Air pilots asleep on the flight deck, a LATAM flight experiences an inflight upset, and Boeing’s problems only seem to be getting bigger. Batik Air pilots were asleep for nearly 30 minutes during their flight to Jakarta. Over the sea between Australia and New Zealand, a LATAM flight experienced an inflight upset that injured 50 people, including 13 who required hospitalization. Boeing’s problems continue to compound with the US Department of Justice, the FAA,...
Published 03/15/24
On this week’s episode of AvTalk, JetBlue and Spirit walk away, American Airlines adds to its order book, and the NTSB isn’t pleased with Boeing. JetBlue and Spirit call it quits JetBlue and Spirit agreed to terminate their merger agreement, deciding that it would be impossible to meet regulatory conditions by the time their agreement ended in June. American Airlines expands its order book, but there’s a catch American Airlines order 260 narrowbody aircraft this week. Lots of attention...
Published 03/08/24
On this week’s episode of AvTalk, following a highly critical report by a panel of aviation safety experts, the FAA gives Boeing 90 days to explain how its going to get its act together. We review a collection of aviation safety reports, including the final report on PK8303. And a TCAS incident between Qatar and Ethiopian highlights the need for extra vigilance when flying over Somalia. Plus, one airline now has its own barbecue sauce. Section 103 Organization Designation Authorizations...
Published 03/01/24
On this week’s episode of AvTalk, a Marathon Airlines E195 operating for Air Serbia strikes the ILS array on departure, rogue ATC on the radio over Somalia, Air Canada fire its chatbot, and updates from this year’s Singapore Airshow. Marathon Airlines E195 hits ILS antennas on departure A Marathon Airlines E195 operating for AirSerbia struck the ILS array for runway 12R while departing Belgrade’s runway 30L. The aircraft returned safely to Belgrade shortly after departure. Somaliland...
Published 02/23/24
On this week’s episode of AvTalk, United Airlines’ fleet of A321neos is temporarily grounded for the dumbest of reasons. Plus the NTSB comes out swinging at the FAA demanding new rules requiring 25 hour cockpit voice recorders apply to existing aircraft as well. And the preliminary report on the Atlas Air 747 engine fire points to a missing plug (no, not a door plug) and fire coming out the wrong hole. You must comply with all lighted signs and placards The small fleet of five United...
Published 02/16/24