U.S. airline CEOs are pretty confident that they've turned the corner. The pandemic isn't in the rearview mirror yet, but they're fairly certain travel will rebound this summer, and some think their airlines will return to profitability this year. Is that confidence misplaced? Will business travel ever be the same as it was? Edward "Ned" Russell and Madhu Unnikrishnan get into it. Get more essential airline news at airlineweekly.com
Mar 19, 2021•26 min•Ep. 172
In this week's episode, Airline Weekly colleagues Edward "Ned" Russell and Madhu Unnikrishnan get into why going public may not be the craziest idea of an airline, despite the once-in-a-century industry-wide crisis. They also look at why Lufthansa is opening its fortress hubs at Munich and Frankfurt to its own subsidiaries. And does IATA's Alexandre de Juniac really think leisure traffic will take off this summer? Get more essential airline news at airlineweekly.com/subscribe
Mar 12, 2021•27 min•Ep. 171
Much of the world is trapped at home and shopping online. Who's transporting all those goods? Airlines, and cargo. has been the one silver lining in the airline's terrible pandemic year. But it's not a savior; airlines still are losing money. Edward "Ned" Russell and Madhu Unnikrishnan talk all things cargo and look at why United is buying more Boeing 737 Max aircraft. Stay informed about essential aviation news with a subscription to Airline Weekly.
Mar 04, 2021•27 min•Ep. 170
Norwegian's retrenchment is providing opportunities for all sorts of airlines, like Finnair, United, and Virgin Atlantic, Airline Weekly colleagues Edward "Ned" Russell and Madhu Unnikrishnan say in this week's episode. And just why is much of the media coverage of United Flight 328 wrong, when the aircraft's systems and its crew acted just as they should have in an emergency? Stay ahead of aviation news by subscribing to Airline Weekly.
Feb 25, 2021•24 min•Ep. 169
United's plan to bridge the "last mile" with electric aircraft is ambitious, especially since the FAA hasn't approved any electric engines for flight yet. Meanwhile, Spirit could have its 2019 capacity back by this summer. Airline Weekly colleagues Ned Russell and Madhu Unnikrishnan take a look at these issues as well as why Aeromexico's bankruptcy and Interjet's inability to pay its fuel bills might help Volaris. Don't miss out on the latest news in the aviation industry. Subscribe to Airline W...
Feb 18, 2021•20 min•Ep. 168
Sun Country has been planning to go public for more than a year, but it made it official now, during the worst crisis to hit the airline industry. Airline Weekly colleagues Edward Russell and Madhu Unnikrishnan talk about why the low-cost-carrier is going public now, what's happening with Air Canada, and whether Copa will be a Wall Street darling again. Stay ahead of aviation news with a subscription to Airline Weekly.
Feb 11, 2021•26 min•Ep. 167
The six largest U.S. airlines have reported their fourth-quarter and full-year 2020 results, and while we knew last year was historically bad, it doesn't look like this year will be any better. Airline Weekly colleagues Edward Russell and Madhu Unnikrishnan dig into the earnings and when travel will start to rebound. Become an Airline Weekly subscriber at https://airlineweekly.com
Feb 04, 2021•28 min•Ep. 166
Airbus has a winner with the A220, and airlines are just starting to discover what they can do with the aircraft’s size and range. Chris Sloan, publisher of theairchive.net joins for a discussion on the A220 and the Boeing 737 Max.
Jan 27, 2021•27 min•Ep. 165
Expedia Vice President Air Partnerships Julie Kyse joins the Airline Weekly Lounge to let us know how data can help airlines recover. We will be on hiatus until the first week of January. Enjoy your holidays, no matter how you celebrate.
Dec 17, 2020•28 min•Ep. 164
Dallas Fort Worth International Airport moved quickly to safeguard public health when the coronavirus began to spread in the U.S. What changes will be permanent? CEO Sean Donohue explains in this week's episode. To participate live in events like this, please visit https://forum.skift.com
Dec 08, 2020•29 min•Ep. 163
The airline industry is just one part of the larger travel ecosystem, and no one sector has been immune to the effects of a once-in-a-century pandemic. Skift Hospitality Reporter Cameron Sperance joins us for a state-of-play on the hospitality and cruise industries. To participate in Airline Weekly Lounge live, register at forum.skift.com.
Dec 01, 2020•23 min•Ep. 162
Last week Skift and the Airline Weekly team hosted our first conference devoted to aviation. Guests including Southwest CEO and Chairman Gary Kelly, Air France CEO Anne Rigali, and Air Lease Corp. Executive Chairman Steven Udvar-Házy discussed the current state of the industry. For today's podcast, the Airline Weekly team connects the dots between the conversations. To participate in weekly recordings of Airline Weekly Lounge, register on our conference site.
Nov 24, 2020•20 min•Ep. 161
Brett "Cranky Flier" Snyder joins Airline Weekly Lounge Live after trying Hawaiian Airlines' new rapid-response test from LAX. The process, aimed to allow travelers to avoid Hawaii's 14-day quarantine, was confusing, he said. And Cranky updates us with his latest installment of "Skeds of Airlines."
Nov 03, 2020•33 min•Ep. 160
Capt. Joe DePete, president of the Air Line Pilots Association, argues that airlines are critical infrastructure, and pilots are essential workers. The industry needs more federal support in order to ensure it can bounce back when demand returns, or the economy as a whole will suffer, he says. Join us on November 19, 2020 for Skift Aviation Forum and learn from CEOs and leaders at Delta Air Lines, Air France, Virgin Atlantic, Ryanair, and more.
Oct 26, 2020•31 min•Ep. 159
Boeing's grounded 737 MAX has been in the news a bunch recently, with European regulators and some airlines predicting it will be back in the air by year's end. What regulatory steps remain before the FAA approves it for flight, and what emerged in the investigation on why the aircraft's software malfunctioned? Aviation Week Air Transport and Safety Editor Sean Broderick helps break it down. To participate in events like this live, please register at Forum.skift.com.
Oct 20, 2020•30 min•Ep. 158
Airline Weekly Editor Madhu Unnikrishnan is joined by Skift hospitality reporter Cameron Sperance to discuss the state of leisure and business travel. Join events like this live by registering at https://forum.skift.com/mondays-airline-weekly/
Oct 14, 2020•28 min•Ep. 157
PaxEx.aero founder Seth Miller joins us live from Philadelphia International Airport for an update on the passenger experience during this pandemic. The pandemic provides both opportunity and risk for airlines and their suppliers. With traffic light, now could the time to innovate, but with cash tight, do airlines and their suppliers have the wherewithal?
Oct 06, 2020•28 min•Ep. 155
Few other airlines were as associated with luxury intercontinental travel than Singapore Airlines was before the pandemic. But when Covid travel restrictions went into force, Singapore's core business all but evaporated, and unlike many of its rivals, it has no domestic market at all to fall back on. For airline industry intelligence every Monday morning, subscribe at Airline Weekly.
Sep 29, 2020•30 min•Ep. 153
Brian Sumers, Skift senior aviation business editor, and Airline Weekly Editor Madhu Unnikrishnan asked just why airlines are eliminating change fees (when passengers have complained about them forever). Are airlines ready to transport vaccines? To join events like this live, visit https://forum.skift.com
Sep 15, 2020•31 min•Ep. 154
Accenture's Jonathan Keane sketches four scenarios the airline industry could face, ranging from a "remarkable return" to "the darkest days." How should airlines prepare for a very uncertain post-pandemic future? Join future events like this at https://forum.skift.com/mondays-airline-weekly/
Sep 08, 2020•30 min•Ep. 156
IATA Regional Vice President for the Americas Peter Cerdá explains the patchwork of travel restrictions that is making air travel in Latin America difficult and why governments in the region should invest more in air transport infrastructure. Get the latest aviation industry intelligence at https://airlineweekly.com
Aug 17, 2020•34 min•Ep. 152
More Europeans may be taking their summer holidays, but it still was a historically bad quarter for the continent’s airlines, especially for those that staked their fortunes on long-haul premium traffic. Join us live for similar events at https://forum.skift.com
Aug 10, 2020•32 min•Ep. 151
Skift Senior Aviation Business Editor Brian Sumers joins host Madhu Unnikrishnan to examine why the heads of four U.S. and European airlines are asking for quarantine rules to be eased. Also, how much more time do you have to fly in a passenger Boeing 747? For more about the business of aviation, please visit https://airlineweekly.com
Jul 27, 2020•28 min•Ep. 150
This week host Madhu Unnikrishnan is joined by Amy Burr, managing director of JetBlue Ventures, and Nirali Shah, director, Vantage Airport Group. To stay on top of essential aviation industry news, please visit Airline Weekly.
Jul 21, 2020•28 min•Ep. 149
How has the passenger experience changed during the pandemic? In no good way, says Seth Miller, founder and editor of PaxEx.aero. Although less-full flights mean more space, airlines are halting or limiting food service, keeping lounges closed, and changing the way IFE is delivered. These are all good and necessary measures, Miller notes, but the passenger experience as we knew it is changing. Understand more about the airline industry with Airline Weekly.
Jun 23, 2020•31 min•Ep. 148
Chris Jones, McCarran International Airport chief marketing officer, discusses the steep drop off in traffic when Las Vegas closed down and how traffic is slowly starting to recover now that many shelter-in-place restrictions are easing. Listen to how McCarran is “betting against the spread” by mandating social distancing, disinfecting public areas, and encouraging mask use. Understand more about the aviation industry with this week"s issue of Skift Airline Weekly.
Jun 18, 2020•29 min•Ep. 147
Bombardier exits the commerical aviation market, and Mitsubishi considers what comes next with the MRJ. Aerospace journalist Jon Ostrower of The Air Current joins host Madhu Unnikrishnan to explain what he calls the rapidly moving tectonic plates in the airframer world. Dive deeper into industry news with the latest issue of Skift Airline Weekly.
Jun 09, 2020•30 min•Ep. 146
Covid-19 claimed its latest airline victim with the bankruptcy of Latam. Just how did one of the largest and most successful airlines in Latin America land in such dire straits? And what does its bankruptcy filing mean for Delta, which has a significant investment in Latam, and for connectivity in South America? Join Skift Airline Weekly’s editors as they hash out what happened and for when they think shorthaul traffic might start to rebound. Dive deeper into industry news with the latest issue ...
Jun 03, 2020•31 min•Ep. 145
Brett Snyder, better known as The Cranky Flier, emphatically says passengers need to wear masks or facial coverings onboard aircraft. It’s not a question, Snyder says in this episode of Mondays With Skift Airline Weekly. Airlines dug themselves into a public-relations hole by promising social distancing by blocking middle seats — which doesn’t provide the necessary six-feet of separation and is financially unsustainable. So given that flights will be filling up again, passengers need to wear mas...
May 26, 2020•33 min•Ep. 144
Ty Osbaugh, architecture firm Gensler’s aviation lead and principal, joins Skift Airline Weekly Editor Madhu Unnikrishnan for a discussion on how airports need to change to handle a public-health emergency. Everything from check-in to terminal design needs to be rethought to adapt to travel’s new reality. Dive deeper with the latest issue of Skift Airline Weekly.
May 19, 2020•28 min•Ep. 143
