The Air Show - podcast cover

The Air Show

Cranky Flier LLCwww.theairshowpodcast.com

Jon Ostrower, Brian Sumers and Brett Snyder discuss the business of the sky on this aviation podcast.

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Episodes

Searching for the new Frontier

As cost-conscious airline passengers increasingly trade up for tickets on legacy carriers, what's a ULCC to do? Brian Sumers, Jon Ostrower and Brett Snyder discuss the new strategies Frontier Airlines is adopting in the face of this trend: new fare families to match the legacy airlines, changes to its network, and its fleet strategy (and order book). Would you like to sponsor future episodes of The Air Show? Get in touch with us here.

May 23, 202435 min

What’s Next For Embraer

The Brazilian manufacturer has a decision to make. Should it focus on what it already does well, including regional jets, small narrowbodies, and business jets? Or should it take a chance and build a bigger airplane that might compete directly with the 737 and A320 families? Jon Ostrower and Brian Sumers discuss Embraer’s dilemma in this week’s episode. We would like to thank Plusgrade and Uplift for their sponsorship of The Air Show. Visit www.theairshowpodcast.com to get in touch with us....

May 16, 202432 min

Don't call them airlines

JSX and Contour have completely different business models, but they both have something in common. They are able to take advantage of a loophole that allows them to run their operations more flexibly in terms of pilots, security, and more under Parts 135 and 380. The industry is divided on whether this is good or bad, but it has generated some real debate in Washington. Jon Ostrower and Brett Snyder talk about what's happening as well as the pros and cons. We would like to thank Plusgrade and Up...

May 09, 202428 min

American's puzzlingly rigid journey to remake distribution

American Airlines has a bold, new strategy that forgoes managed corporate bookings for direct bookings while remaking its entire sales effort. With the first quarter over and done, how is that plan-turned-strategy working out so far? This week, Brian Sumers, Brett Snyder and Jon Ostrower discuss the first indicators of American's grand plan. We would like to thank Plusgrade and Uplift for their sponsorship of The Air Show. Visit www.theairshowpodcast.com to get in touch with us....

May 02, 202435 min

Airlines are 'Boeing-level angry' about Pratt & Whitney

It's not just Boeing that's causing acute headaches for airlines. Pratt & Whitney's geared turbofan engine, which has been in operation since 2016 on Airbus single-aisle aircraft, has serious issues with reliability and durability, and a seriously long MRO timeline. The engine itself is an innovation — a major leap in fuel efficiency, which will only become more necessary — but will these issues threaten Pratt & Whitney's comeback? Make airlines more risk-averse when innovation is sorely...

Apr 25, 202431 min

United and Delta: a class all their own

Two U.S. airlines have reported earnings so far, and it's United and Delta: two airlines that increasingly have a lot in common. Brett Snyder and Brian Sumers discuss the numbers each airline reported, and what they shared about corporate travel, the summer travel season forecast, the importance of brand and reliability, and more. We would like to thank Plusgrade and Uplift for their sponsorship of The Air Show....

Apr 18, 202430 min

A tale of two cities

Or: what happened in Boston and Seattle when Delta established hubs there. Brett Snyder, Brian Sumers and Jon Ostrower discuss how Alaska defended its turf against Delta, and how JetBlue faltered when Delta expanded in Boston. The particulars of each city — their changing economies and corporate needs, their specific brand loyalty, and regional feed and fleet — make an interesting case study. We would like to thank Plusgrade for their sponsorship of The Air Show....

Apr 11, 202433 min

India rising

Jon Ostrower and Brian Sumers discuss the current moment in Indian aviation, focusing on the two largest carriers in the market. At Air India, Campbell Wilson, a former top executive of Singapore Air, is tasked to remake the flag carrier under new private ownership. Pieter Elbers, the former CEO of KLM, now leads the very profitable and market-dominant IndiGo, despite growing pains. Brian and Jon also discuss the forces that are perhaps containing the growth of the Indian market: infrastructure,...

Apr 04, 202433 min

The Boeing episode

Jon Ostrower recaps and explains a very tumultuous week at Boeing: a shake-up in its executive leadership, prompted by the leadership of four U.S. airlines deciding it was time to bypass the C-suite and ask for a meeting with Boeing's board. Jon discusses those developments and what's ahead for Boeing with Brett Snyder and Brian Sumers. You can read Jon's reporting on Boeing here . We would like to thank Plusgrade and Intelsat for their sponsorship of The Air Show....

Mar 28, 202432 min

Does JetBlue have a real plan?

Brett Snyder and Brian Sumers discuss the recent moves of JetBlue and the early signs of what the airline's new leadership is planning, post-NEA and post-Spirit. Jon Ostrower joins from the road to discuss JetBlue's varied fleet. We would like to thank Intelsat for their sponsorship of The Air Show.

Mar 21, 202437 min

Welcome to The Air Show

The inaugural episode introduces hosts Brian Summers, Brett Snyder, and John Ostrower, delving into their diverse aviation journalism backgrounds and the unique perspectives they bring to discussing the business of the sky. They reflect on the critical strategic decisions made by major airlines and manufacturers during the 2020 pandemic, highlighting resilient companies and those whose pre-existing issues were exposed. The hosts emphasize the podcast's commitment to offering a critical, in-depth analysis of the industry.

Mar 14, 202429 min
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