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What began with a bang now ends with a whimper – Joshua Wander, former CEO of Bonza financier 777 Partners, has pleaded guilty in the US to a half-billion-dollar fraud scheme, thus ending the sorry tale of what once seemed a promising new contender in Australia's aviation market. Wander now faces a maximum of 40 years in prison after the collapse of the 777 Partners "house of cards" – cold comfort, perhaps, to everyone left out of work and out of pocket by its role in the demise of the airline it had once bankrolled. On this week's Australian Aviation Podcast, Jake, David and Hannah take a magnifying glass to the financial skulduggery of 777 Partners as we close the book on the Bonza saga. Plus, with a global asset freeze slapped on the low-cost carrier, are Vietjet's plans for Australian expansion over before they began?

While aviation has plenty of security safeguards in place to keep passengers with sinister intent away from the cockpit, last month's attempted flydubai hijack – by one of the pilots – was a sobering reminder that sometimes, the sinister intent is already in the flight deck. While the aircraft and its passengers escaped unscathed this time, the incident raised the spectre of disasters like Germanwings Flight 9525 and LAM Mozambique Airlines Flight 470, which both saw the aircraft's own pilots bring down their planes in horrific murder-suicides. On this week's Australian Aviation Podcast, Jake, David and Hannah examine the dangers that can arise when the pilots – the people we entrust with our lives in the air – are also the people posing the biggest risk to passenger safety. Plus, a rocky few weeks for industrial relations as Jetstar, Virgin, Qantas, and Sydney Airport have all faced protected action.

As the aviation industry continues to clamour for talented engineers, fostering talent in the next generation is ever more important. The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics' annual Design/Build/Fly competition – held this year in Wichita, Kansas – attracted young engineers with the challenge of designing, building, and testing a banner-towing bush plane that could carry mock passengers and cargo. Among the teams was a contingent from RMIT University in Melbourne, including aerospace engineering and logistics supply chain student Viviene Beins and aerospace engineering (honours) student Marcus Serong. On this week's Australian Aviation Podcast, Defence Connect's Robert Dougherty speaks with the duo at ICAS 2026 in Sydney on what the Australian aerospace and defence industry can do to attract and retain the next generation of engineers.

Speculation has been swirling for months, and now the tea leaves have thrown up their clearest sign yet that Vietjet is planning a move into Australia, with the registration of a shiny new 737 MAX 8 owned by the low-cost carrier and registered to a mysterious "Cherrie Aviation". While Vietjet is remaining tight-lipped about its plans, it's hard not to think we'll see a grand unveiling sooner rather than later – and not to draw comparisons with Tigerair, the last Asian low-cost carrier that had a crack at the Australian market. On this week's Australian Aviation Podcast, Jake, David and Hannah dig into the details of Vietjet's first Australian aircraft and ask what the next moves might be for the potential challenger. Plus, part two of Project Sunrise is revealed, with Qantas to fly non-stop to New York in 2028 – so what can passengers expect?

Another week, another set of bad headlines about Sydney Airport – this time, eye-popping figures from Airservices showing ground delays were almost 40 per cent higher than average in the month of August. With high rates of sick leave putting strain on an already overburdened and understaffed air traffic control workforce, is there any relief in sight for Sydney passengers? On this week's Australian Aviation Podcast, Jake and David welcome Hannah Dowling back to the show as they discuss the ongoing travails at Australia's busiest international gateway. Plus, Virgin Australia flight attendants revolt over the revolting state of aircraft cabins.

It's been a quarter of a century since the most seismic shock to hit Australia's aviation sector before COVID-19: the dramatic collapse of Ansett Australia, which had been one of the country's two domestic airline giants. With 16,000 people out of work and a sudden vacuum left in the domestic market, Ansett's demise sent shockwaves through both the sector and the nation at large, and its impact is still felt today. On this week's Australian Aviation Podcast, Jake and David look at what Ansett Australia left behind, 25 years after the airline went bust – and ask what might have happened if it hadn't. Plus, it's also been 25 years since 9/11 reshaped the face of global aviation – so how has the industry changed since the towers fell?

It's one of the harshest and most unforgiving environments on Earth – but even in Antarctica, aviation is still a vital connection for those living on research stations across the frozen continent. Skytraders has worked with the Australian Antarctic Division for almost a quarter of a century to provide aviation support and logistics to scientific missions in often challenging conditions, far from the nearest airport. In July, the airline carried out a rare midwinter mission to McMurdo Station, in pitch darkness and temperatures as low as −43°C, to evacuate a medical patient to Christchurch – a mission which succeeded thanks to the skill and experience of the pilots and their supporting teams. On this week's Australian Aviation Podcast, Skytraders pilots Dan Colborne and Louise Robertson share their tales of flying to Antarctica – the highs, the lows, and the challenges of operating in the isolated southernmost reaches of the planet.

It's a sad day for those who love big planes – after 20 years in the sky, Qantas will begin retiring its mighty A380s from 2028, with smaller and more fuel-efficient twinjets like the 787 and A350 set to replace them. Beloved by passengers, but with fuel and maintenance bills to match its massive size, the A380 may no longer make sense for Qantas' business model, but it'll always hold a special place in the hearts and minds of avgeeks – and for bigger hub airlines like Emirates, where it's arguably a better fit. On this week's Australian Aviation Podcast, Jake and David bid a fond early farewell to the Qantas A380 fleet as the superjumbos get ready to fly off into the sunset. Plus, results season is upon us – which airlines came out ahead in the 2026 financial year, and which ones took a beating from the ongoing geopolitical and economic storm?

From the founding of Jetstar to his 15 years at the helm of our largest airline group, Alan Joyce is undoubtedly one of the most consequential figures in the last quarter-century of Australia's aviation history. He became one of Australia's most well-known CEOs, famed for his advocacy on social causes and his work to transform Qantas – but at the same time, attracted plenty of criticism on industrial relations, as well as contentious decisions made during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, three years after handing over the reins to Vanessa Hudson, Joyce has released his memoir, Riding the Jet Stream, where he gives his unvarnished view on what he did right – and wrong – over his long aviation career. On this special episode of the Australian Aviation Podcast, Joyce speaks exclusively to Jake Nelson in a no-holds-barred interview on the big decisions, the accomplishments, and the controversies of his time as CEO of Qantas Group, and what he feels his legacy will be.

As the Iran conflict drags on, it's easy to be pessimistic about the effects on aviation, including high fuel prices and geopolitical headaches – but at least in the Asia-Pacific, things may not be as bad as they seem. According to a new report from S&P Global Ratings, Asia-Pacific airlines are expected to stay the fastest-growing airline market in the world, with strong balance sheets, fleet renewals, and solid demand expected to buoy the region despite economic pressures. On this week's Australian Aviation Podcast, Jake and David look at the ups and downs of Asia-Pacific's aviation sector, and where recent route reshuffles might fit into the equation. Plus, despite a habit of flying under the radar, is Airnorth a sleeper success story?

Another week, another hair-raising near mishap at Sydney Airport, this time with a Virgin 737 almost taking off as a Qantas plane was crossing the runway ahead of it. Airservices has again come under the magnifying glass for the incident – so, what happened? More importantly, with air traffic controllers still feeling the squeeze and hundreds of flights passing through Sydney every day, how can it be fixed? Can new technologies help bolster safety on the tarmac at Australia's busiest gateway – and what about Western Sydney? On this week's Australian Aviation Podcast, Jake and David dissect the ongoing struggles at Sydney Airport and ask what can be done about them. Plus, speaking of Sydney, the airport's new Master Plan has been given the stamp of approval – and what's happening with slots?

We've all danced the airport suitcase shuffle, moving item after item back and forth between our cabin bags and our checked bags in a desperate hope to get in under those pesky weight limits. Now, Jetstar says it's offering a solution – no more scales, no more luggage Tetris, just bring an under-seat bag for free. Simple, right? The only catch: overhead bin space will now cost you extra. So, is Jetstar's new policy convenience, cash grab, or a little bit of both? On this week's Australian Aviation Podcast, Jake and David weigh in on the pros and cons of Jetstar's new cabin baggage policy and unpack what it will mean for passengers. Plus, Airservices is under fire again after disruptions and near-misses at Sydney Airport – so what's the solution?

As Australian helicopters head north to help with wildfires in Europe, a deadly crash in Greece – and new regulations following a crash in WA two years ago – have once again put the spotlight on how dangerous it can be to fight fires from the air. While national standard operating procedures are cutting down on confusion, and unmanned drones are taking surveillance crews off the front lines, it's clear that there will always be some danger for those who fly out to battle the increasingly common mega-blazes around the world. On this week's Australian Aviation Podcast, Jake and David look at the risks borne by aerial firefighters, and ask what more can be done to keep our flying firies safe. Plus, Australia's airports celebrate a rip-roaring financial year, with passenger traffic breaking records at gateways both large and small.

We don't talk about it too often on the podcast, but cargo is a huge sector of the aviation industry – and with big news out of both Western Sydney and Avalon Airports this week, it found itself unexpectedly in the spotlight. WSI has at last opened its doors to freight ahead of its passenger launch in October, while Avalon Airport is seeing its first direct cargo services to Saudi Arabia –good news for both the Western Sydney and Geelong areas. On this week's Australian Aviation Podcast, Jake and David unpack the crate expectations being placed on Australia's secondary airports as freight operations ramp up. Plus, Project Sunrise arrives in Australia (sort of); a look at the inside of Jetstar's new 787-8 cabins (and also Osaka and Kyoto); and why haven't illegally sacked Qantas ground workers seen all their compensation money yet?

Qantas has frequently found itself in the news for all the wrong reasons over the past few years – but it got a much-needed win when the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) found last year's data breach wasn't caused by the Flying Kangaroo's own negligence. With high marks for its swift response to the fiasco, and no need determined for any further investigation, Qantas can take the OAIC's findings as a sign that the fallout of the cyberattack is mostly behind it – but can it recover from the PR hit it suffered? On this week's Australian Aviation Podcast, Jake and David unpack the official verdict on the Qantas data breach, and ask if the national carrier really deserves all the flak it gets. Plus, half a year on from the Air T-Rex deal, when will we actually see more Saabs back in the air?