In traditional Ryanair fashion, the budget carrier is ambitiously striving to hit 80 per cent or more of its pre-COVID capacity as soon as July, in a bid to see Europeans embrace the summer travel season. In this episode of the World of Aviation Podcast, host Adam Thorn and reporter Hannah Dowling discuss the European giant’s latest headline-making statements, along with the news of European planemaker Airbus completing the inaugural flight of its final iconic four-engine A380. The team...

Last week saw Iran release its final report into the passenger jet it accidentally shot down in January last year, while the number of US domestic travellers hit its highest level since March 2020, a key sign that confidence is returning to the market. In this episode of the World of Aviation Podcast, host Adam Thorn and reporter Hannah Dowling discuss the final report into the Ukranian International Airlines jet that was accidentally downed by Iranian forces in January 2020, and the...

Last week, passengers onboard the United Airlines 777 that suffered an engine failure in February officially moved to take a class action suit against the airline for the incident, citing emotional distress. In this episode of the World of Aviation Podcast, host Adam Thorn and reporter Hannah Dowling discuss whether or not United is at fault for the incident, and if passengers have any leg to stand on in their suit. The team also explores the US CDC’s decision to limit the movement of...

Here’s to a good news week! In this episode of the World of Aviation Podcast, host Adam Thorn and reporter Hannah Dowling delve into the current status of aviation’s post-crisis recovery, as well as the updated information on the United 777 that dropped engine parts over Colorado. Then the team discusses the FAA’s new testing regime for drone detection and mitigation technologies in shared airspaces with manned aircraft. Finally, the crew talks all things supersonic, with the latest...

On Saturday, 27 February 2021, a United Airlines 777 suffered a single-engine failure that resulted in engine shrapnel, including a near-intact engine cowling, falling on a Denver suburb below. Just hours beforehand, a very similar incident occurred on a Boeing 747 in the Netherlands, which saw two minor injuries and cars littered with engine blade parts. This week, the World of Aviation team investigated the two curious cases of aircraft engines suffering a failure, and raining...

The future is now! Flying cars to hit the road (and skies) by 2022. Tune in to this episode of the World of Aviation Podcast, where host Adam Thorn, joined in studio by reporter Hannah Dowling, shares the details of the FAA’s mammoth decision to certify a hybrid flying car for personal use. The team also discusses Boeing’s ‘mixed bag’ of a week, including over 200 Dreamliners grounded for defect inspections and the UAE lifting its MAX ban. Also explored is the end of the Bombardier...

It was a week that saw government bailouts, trans-Atlantic rivalries, and moves towards sustainable aviation. Tune in to this episode of the World of Aviation Podcast, where host Adam Thorn and guests Hannah Dowling and Christian “Boo” Boucousis discuss the current status of US government financial aid for US airlines and airports. The team also discusses the ongoing battle between Airbus and Boeing, and the trans-Atlantic tariff feud that may just have an end in sight. To wrap up, the...

Ryanair has continued to push for Europeans to return to travelling, despite US airlines warning of thousands more furloughs and Boeing reporting a 60 per cent plummet in firm 777X orders. This week on the World of Aviation Podcast, host Adam Thorn and reporter Hannah Dowling question why Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary continues to suggest it’s safe to travel, as the UK continues to report tens of thousands of COVID cases per day. The team also discusses American Airlines warning 13,000 of...

Tune in to this week’s episode of the World of Aviation Podcast, where host Adam Thorn and guests Hannah Dowling and Christian “Boo” Boucousis discuss the latest update on the Sriwijaya crash, as well as Airbus in criminal court and, of course, the latest and greatest of Boeing’s woes. The week saw Boeing shaken up by seemingly endless PR problems amid its record-breaking $12 billion annual loss, while rival Airbus was asked to return to French criminal court on charges of manslaughter. ...

Welcome to 2021: a year marked by trouble at Boeing, border closures and major aircraft tragedies. This week on the World of Aviation Podcast, host Adam Thorn and guests Hannah Dowling and Christian “Boo” Boucousis discuss a start to the year that seems worryingly familiar. In particular, the team talks in-depth about Boeing’s $2.5 billion 737 MAX fine, what we’re set to learn from Israel’s rapid-fire vaccine program and whether the new normal will ever go back to being the old normal we...

Imagine a world without COVID. A world where international travel is back on and stood down workers are stood upright again. Everything’s going to be great, right? This week, World of Aviation’s Adam Thorn and Hannah Dowling ask whether the industry is in for a grim future of longer hours and less staff as the new, new normal kicks in. Will early retirements leave us with a bigger pilot shortage? Will young people training today have a future? And how many airlines will remain? Plus, the...

The good news is the world has a vaccine that should bring aviation back to life. The bad news is we have no idea exactly when, or how, that will happen. This week, World of Aviation’s Adam Thorn and Hannah Dowling ask if the world will open back up in summer or winter; at the same time or separate; and whether domestic travel can plug the gap in the meantime? The pair also discuss the different tactics employed by airlines. Will a decision to stick or twist have long-term ramifications?

Unlike most in the industry, Boeing knew it was in for a rough 2020. It just probably didn’t realise how bad. This week, World of Aviation’s Adam Thorn and Hannah Dowling discuss how the planemaker dealt with the dual blows of struggling to certify the MAX and COVID. Will passengers be scared to buy a ticket? Does Ryanair’s deal herald a breakthrough moment? And can the MAX ever reclaim its position as one of the world’s most successful planes ever? Finally, the team discusses the...

Tune in to this episode of the World of Aviation Podcast, where Adam and Hannah discuss Boeing’s year from hell, Ryanair’s ever-expanding European footprint, and the return on Flybe. As with much of 2020, Boeing continues to dominate the news. In this week’s podcast, host Adam Thorn and World of Aviation journalist Hannah Dowling discuss Boeing’s first 737 MAX delivery since the aircraft was grounded nearly two years ago. Elsewhere, collapsed regional player Flybe applied for an operating...

Last week, Ryanair threw its weight behind the MAX with 75 more orders. But are other airlines now following suit? In this week’s Inside Aviation catch-up, Phil and Adam discuss the state of play for Boeing. Is its year from hell now over? Finally, the team discusses the latest burst of optimism for the 747. Does the iconic aircraft have a future now it’s in semi-retirement?

You wait a year for one approval, and then you get two at once! This week, Adam and Boo discuss the two breakthrough moments of the last 12 months as the UK begins vaccinating people and Boeing lands its first big MAX order. But while the good news should be celebrated, it also brings some questions. What will be the politics behind jabs and border openings? Will people care if they’re on a MAX? And were the two announcements interrelated? Finally, the team future-gaze as to what they can...

Well, of course! European budget airline Ryanair has ordered an additional 75 MAX jets in a deal worth more than $9 billion. But what does it mean? In this week’s Inside Aviation catch-up, Phil and Adam discuss whether this is the breakthrough Boeing needs to end two years of hell, or if Ryanair has just smelt a bargain? And as vaccines start to increase the positivity in the industry, the team discusses what the effect will be on those trying to start a career. Will our much-discussed...

With a vaccine weeks – or maybe days – from being rolled out, international airlines have dispensed with the pleasantries and are preparing to try to reclaim market share. On this week’s Inside Aviation catch-up, Phil and Adam discuss the recent skirmish over airport slot waivers. Should big airlines be able to keep their places at airports if budget carriers want to get planes in the air? Finally, the team discuss the long, long goodbye of the 747. Can you still spot one if you really want?

It’s fair to say 2020 has been a tough year for many in the aviation industry, who have been stood down, made redundant or simply forced to take on much worse working terms. It’s easy to forget, however, how well trained and well thought of most aviation employees are. In this special episode of the World of Aviation podcast, we interview Jim Murphy, the founder of Afterburner. Murphy transformed himself from an instructor pilot who clocked 1,200 hours in an F-15 into an entrepreneur who...

It should have been the biggest story of the year. But after a 20-month flight ban – the longest in aviation history – the US Federal Aviation Administration has finally cleared the 737 MAX to fly again. Now what? In this week’s Inside Aviation, Phil and Adam discuss this and other stories breaking around the world. Will the industry be welcoming the Max back now it’s got bigger problems to deal with? Plus, the team also discuss how the COVID vaccine will open up borders and the industry....

Last week, the world heard the news it was waiting for when global pharmaceutical giant Pfizer said its vaccine was “90 per cent effective”. Which means we can all go back to normal, right? Well maybe. This week on the World of Aviation podcast, Adam and Boo discuss what’s next? Will countries only open up to nations that have been vaccinated? Will there be a premier league of jabs of different potency? And will countries continue to shut their borders until COVID is totally eradicated? The...

Last week, the world celebrated as we edged closer to having a coronavirus vaccine. But the good news also raises questions for international border openings. In our Inside Aviation catch-up, Phil Tarrant, Adam Thorn and a returning Boo chat about what this means for removing restrictions. Is it as simple as a ‘shot in the arm’ solving our problems? Plus, the team discuss Emirates posting huge losses, the endless demise of the unloved A380 and yet another ‘vertiport’.

Since the COVID crisis, airlines and unions have been at loggerheads as huge cuts are made and working terms are reduced. But the situation at Cathay Pacific seems particularly toxic, with reports of ultimatums and 60 per cent salary cuts. In this week’s Inside Aviation, Phil and Adam discuss the fallout, and what it means for the airline. They also discuss a precarious situation within the industry as a whole. The IATA says aviation’s recovery has “hit a wall”, but why? Finally, the team...

Since the start of the pandemic, Qatar Airways has won plaudits for being one of the few carriers to soldier on during the crisis, helping stranded passengers return “home”. But that goodwill has seemingly evaporated after it was revealed up to 18 female passengers from Australia, the UK and France were invasively searched, apparently to find the mother of an abandoned premature baby. This week, host Adam Thorn and regular guest Christian “Boo” Boucousis discuss the fallout and whether...

The story that 18 women from Australia, the UK and France were invasively searched by Qatari authorities at Hamad Airport this month has refused to go away. In the last few days, the Qatar government has finally issued an apology – but it seems to be more concerned with shifting the emphasis onto the missing baby. On this week’s Inside Aviation, Phil and Adam discuss the impact on the industry, and whether Qatar will ever be able to regain passengers’ trust. They also discuss the continual...