On this week’s episode of AvTalk, SAS’s India relaunch doesn’t quite make it to India. The first Airbus A350-100ULR for Qantas’ Project Sunrise takes to the skies. Boeing is advancing the 737 MAX monthly production rate as it says it anticipates MAX 7 and MAX 10 certification by the end of the year. Violence flares in the Middle East with fresh strikes, including one that hit Kuwait Airport, killing one person and injuring dozens in the terminal. Swiss is parting out a pair of A220-100s and park...
Jun 05, 2026•53 min•Ep. 373
We’re in Stockholm for a our semi-annual Flightradar24 crew meetup this week. Ian is joined by Gabe Leigh to discuss what’s it like behind the scenes capturing the stories of aviation professionals around the world. We review the recent incident where NTSB cockpit voice recorder data from UPS flight 2976 was used to recreate simulated audio. The NTSB removed the public docket system in order to prevent further such efforts. The preliminary investigation into the China Eastern A350 jet bridge col...
May 29, 2026•31 min•Ep. 372
On this episode of AvTalk, we follow the NTSB’s thread as the agency holds two days of investigative hearings on the crash of UPS flight 2976 , the MD-11 that crashed in Louisville after one of its engines separated from the wing. The FAA issues its first official response to the NTSB’S safety recommendations following the 2025 DCA mid-air collisions. And the NTSB calls for more realistic training of smoke in the cockpit scenarios after a 2023 incident. A Croatia Airlines A220 suffers a runway e...
May 22, 2026•51 min•Ep. 371
On this week’s episode of AvTalk, we’re joined by Nomadic Aviation Group co-founder Steve Giordano to talk about what happens when you suddenly need to move dozens of aircraft in a very short amount of time. Steve and his crew have spent the past two weeks bringing former Spirit Airlines aircraft to the desert for storage following the collapse of the airline on May 2nd. What does it take to make sure those aircraft can be legally, safely, and efficiently moved from wherever they ended up when t...
May 15, 2026•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 370
This week’s episode of AvTalk takes us from the highest highs to the lowest lows of the aviation industry. We begin with a major announcement mere minutes before our recording as AirAsia orders 150 A220s in a new, denser cabin configuration . Spirit Airlines succumbs to its long running financial difficulties and ceases operations. Newly released documents provide insight into the crash of a China Eastern 737 in 2022. And video from this week’s incident involving a China Eastern A350 in Shanghai...
May 08, 2026•55 min•Ep. 369
On this week’s episode of AvTalk, the NTSB’s preliminary report on the crash at La Guardia Airport in New York lays out the avenues of investigation and spurs the Port Authority to action. FedEx says it will put the MD-11 back into service in May, but the FAA still needs to weigh in. US low cost carriers are pitching the government on a $2.5 billion support package, while Spirit negotiates separately for an increasingly unlikely $500 million loan. Alaska Airlines launches its first European serv...
May 01, 2026•47 min•Ep. 368
On this week’s episode of AvTalk, Europe’s jet fuel supplies run low while airlines cut flights as we transition into the summer season. We’re joined by Steven Fox from NATS to learn more about how the UK’s air navigation service provider prepares for the influx of summer flights. TCAS plays an important role in the nature of our discussions as we discuss safety margins rather than mid-air collisions. And pilots of a Lufthansa flight act well before a situation in Bogota becomes unsafe. The back...
Apr 24, 2026•56 min•Ep. 367
On this week’s episode of AvTalk, we make our annual trek to Hamburg for the Aircraft Interiors Expo where Jason is joined once again by PaxEx.aero ’s Seth Miller. Buttons, buttons, and more buttons The Skynook concept American Airlines celebrates its 100th anniversary with a special flight and a new set of trading cards , while Lufthansa celebrates its 100th anniversary with a cabin crew strike. Many publications jumped on news this week that United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby suggested a merger b...
Apr 17, 2026•53 min•Ep. 366
On this week’s episode of AvTalk, we make a special trip to space and await Artemis II’s return to Earth. A tenuous cease fire in Iran leads to the first airspace re-openings, but a lack of jet fuel is affecting airports in Asia and Europe. US airlines are hiking bag fees across the board and United Airlines is introducing basic premium fares. And in Brisbane, one particular jet bridge really had it out for a pair of 737s. Helpful links for this week’s episode How NASA’s Optical Communications S...
Apr 10, 2026•52 min•Ep. 365
On this week’s episode of AvTalk, airlines—and entire countries—outside of the Middle East are facing a reckoning as the high price and impending unavailability of fuel. The FAA is making changes to approaches in San Francisco, reducing the arrival rate even further than planned runway construction already will. A Delta A330 suffers an uncontained engine failure departing São Paulo. Major leadership changes are coming at Air Canada and IndiGo and Jason nominates Ian for IATA director general. An...
Apr 03, 2026•56 min•Ep. 364
On this week’s episode of AvTalk, we discuss what we know so far about the collision between flight AC8646 and an airport fire truck at New York’s La Guardia Airport. We walk through the sequence of events provided by the NTSB and analyze some of the initial areas where investigators are focusing their efforts. In Los Angeles, Jason is joined by Ned Russell and Jon Ostrower to recap the news from United Airlines’ big reveal, including new aircraft configurations, features, and a new aircraft nam...
Mar 27, 2026•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 363
On this week’s episode of AvTalk, more updates on the war in the Middle East, including the mid-air collision between two US Air Force KC-135s and an Iranian drone attack on a fuel facility next to Dubai International Airport. We take a gander at some wildlife related accidents and Atlas Air places the largest A350F order so far. A Tunisian appeals court increases the sentences of two airline executives convicted in hiring fraud. And LEGO is ready with another aviation set that we can’t wait to ...
Mar 20, 2026•56 min•Ep. 362
On this week’s episode of AvTalk, updates on the war in the Middle East and the widening effects on the aviation industry. We cover the new airspace restrictions in Azerbaijan, additional rescue flights by airlines in the region, and the pressing problem of skyrocketing fuels costs around the world. Also on this week’s episode, Air […] The post AvTalk Episode 361: When saving money costs lives appeared first on Flightradar24 Blog ....
Mar 13, 2026•56 min•Ep. 361
On this week’s episode of AvTalk, we discuss the US-Israeli attack on Iran and Iranian response with an eye on the effects on commercial aviation. Airspace closures, flight cancellations, reroutes, diversions, and how airlines are coping with the rapid changes. Also on this week’s episode, another emergency evacuation with passengers carrying their baggage, the FAA […] The post AvTalk Episode 360: War shuts down Middle East airspace appeared first on Flightradar24 Blog ....
Mar 06, 2026•44 min•Ep. 360
On this week’s episode of AvTalk, after passing unanimously in the Senate, the US House of Representatives votes down the aviation safety-focused ROTOR Act, which was championed by the NTSB, pilots’ unions, and families of the victims of last year’s mid-air collision in Washington DC. The House will now turn to an alternate bill, the […] The post AvTalk Episode 359: Reading them the ROTOR Act appeared first on Flightradar24 Blog ....
Feb 27, 2026•43 min•Ep. 359
Plenty to discuss on this week’s episode of AvTalk: More clarity on what exactly led to the closure of airspace above El Paso last week A United Airlines flight from Lagos experiences an extraordinary series of events (UA613 leg 1 | UA613 leg 2) ANA operates a 14 hour flight from Tokyo to Tokyo An […] The post AvTalk Episode 358: Not how you want the day to go appeared first on Flightradar24 Blog ....
Feb 20, 2026•52 min•Ep. 358
On this week’s episode of AvTalk, Ian is joined by Ned Russell in the studio as Jason and Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren report from their outpost in the Caribbean. We try to understand what happened in El Paso on Wednesday morning and offer some thoughts on the FAA administrator’s actions to close airspace around the city. Cuba […] The post AvTalk Episode 357: Frickin’ drones with frickin’ laser beams appeared first on Flightradar24 Blog ....
Feb 13, 2026•56 min•Ep. 357
On this week’s episode of AvTalk, the FAA finalizes the rule mandating 25-hour recordings on cockpit voice recorders. Confusion ensues after President Trump says he’s decertifying “Canadian made” aircraft. Air India and Indian investigators probe a fuel cutoff switch incident aboard a Boeing 787 in London. And the Singapore Air Show brings some interesting orders. […] The post AvTalk Episode 356: Finally, a 25 hour rule appeared first on Flightradar24 Blog ....
Feb 06, 2026•53 min•Ep. 356
On this week’s episode of AvTalk: The NTSB holds its board meeting to determine the probable cause of the mid-air collision above the Potomac River last January UPS announces it has retired its MD-11 fleet A Bombardier business jet crashes attempting to depart Bangor, Maine Airlines are modifying their routes and schedules to avoid tensions […] The post AvTalk Episode 355: Systemic failures appeared first on Flightradar24 Blog ....
Jan 30, 2026•53 min•Ep. 355
On this week’s episode of AvTalk, the US issues a set of NOTAMs warning of military activity in a large swath of the North Pacific. The NTSB issues an update on the UPS MD-11 crash, focusing on additional materials analysis performed on a bearing from the engine pylon mount. An ATR 42 operating for the […] The post AvTalk Episode 354: Want to buy a 747SP? appeared first on Flightradar24 Blog ....
Jan 23, 2026•43 min•Ep. 354
On this week’s episode of AvTalk, Boeing and Airbus report their final tallies for orders and deliveries in 2025 and it was Boeing’s best year since 2018. Allegiant is buying Sun Country in a shake up of the ultra low-cost market in the US. Delta comes full circle and orders up to 60 787s. And […] The post AvTalk Episode 353: Boeing has a banner year appeared first on Flightradar24 Blog ....
Jan 16, 2026•37 min•Ep. 353
We begin the year with a mess in Amsterdam as more than 3,000 flights have been canceled at the airport this week following snow storms and a long list of operational problems. We look at the impact on civil aviation from the US military action in Venezuela last weekend. Kazakhstan investigators issue an update on […] The post AvTalk Episode 352: It’s the deicing that’ll get ya appeared first on Flightradar24 Blog ....
Jan 09, 2026•50 min•Ep. 352
On this week’s episode of AvTalk, we’re beginning 2026 by looking back at a pair of our favorite conversations from 2025. Throughout the year, we focused a lot on the seemingly unending stream of news and what it meant for the aviation industry, but we also had a chance to speak with some very interesting […] The post AvTalk Episode 351: Our favorite conversations from 2025 appeared first on Flightradar24 Blog ....
Jan 02, 2026•34 min•Ep. 351
On this week’s episode of AvTalk, a pair of incidents involving civilian aircraft and military aircraft without active transponders operating in Curaçao’s airspace sounds a bit too familiar. We discuss the events from the last week and the state of airspace in the southern Caribbean. NTSB chair Jennifer Homendy had choice words for Congress after […] The post AvTalk Episode 350: “Outrageous:” close calls near Venezuela appeared first on Flightradar24 Blog ....
Dec 19, 2025•45 min•Ep. 350
On this week’s episode of AvTalk, Ian and Jason return from their respective travels to survey this week’s news. We return to India where IndiGo’s meltdown last week left the government none-too-pleased with the airline. In the US, Peraton gets the nod as the FAA’s prime integrator for ATC modernization. Boeing completes its acquisition of […] The post AvTalk Episode 349: How do you forget about a 737? appeared first on Flightradar24 Blog ....
Dec 12, 2025•39 min•Ep. 349
On this week’s episode of AvTalk, Ian is joined by new Flightradar24 crew member Daniel Gustafsson in the Flightradar24 offices in Stockholm, while Jason finishes his journey through Japan’s cat cafes. We walk through the current NOTAMs affecting flights in and around Venezuela, as well as some of the unofficial pronouncements made with regard to […] The post AvTalk Episode 348: Consider the airspace closed in its entirety appeared first on Flightradar24 Blog ....
Dec 05, 2025•26 min•Ep. 348
On this week’s episode of AvTalk, Ian is joined by aviation journalist Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren to discuss a trio of recently released preliminary accident reports. UPS flight 2976 — MD-11F crash on take off in Louisville Emergency Airworthiness Directive regarding MD-11s Emergency Airworthiness Directive regarding DC-10s United Airlines flight 1093 — impact with object at 36,000 […] The post AvTalk Episode 347: Fatigue cracks, thrust levers, and sand ballast appeared first on Flightradar24 Blog ....
Nov 27, 2025•52 min•Ep. 347
On this episode of AvTalk, the Dubai Airshow wraps up with a long list of major orders and other announcements. The FAA cancels its cancellation order and air traffic in the US returns to pre-government shutdown levels. Plus, anti-GPS jamming technology is coming from Fokker Services in early 2026. We’re also joined by The Up […] The post AvTalk Episode 346: The A340-600 episode appeared first on Flightradar24 Blog ....
Nov 21, 2025•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 346
On this week’s episode of AvTalk, US airspace held together—barely—with hastily announced cuts to flights at major airports going into effect and air traffic controller staffing triggers peaking on Sunday. We also discuss comments from President Trump (09:23-15:28) on controller staffing during the shutdown and what effect that sentiment might have on controllers in the […] The post AvTalk Episode 345: Reasonable people appeared first on Flightradar24 Blog ....
Nov 14, 2025•54 min•Ep. 345
On this week’s episode of AvTalk, we discuss what we know so far about the crash of UPS Airlines flight 2976 in Louisville. To manage some of the burden on air traffic controllers during the government shutdown, the US is telling airlines to cancel up to 10% of their flights in major markets. Embraer says […] The post AvTalk Episode 344: UPS flight 2976 appeared first on Flightradar24 Blog ....
Nov 07, 2025•38 min•Ep. 344
