Advertise on podcast: Australian Aviation Podcast Network

This week, Virgin Australia’s CEO, Jayne Hrdlicka, shocked the industry by stepping down as the airline’s CEO. But has she left on a high, or is there more to the departure than meets the eye? This week, Adam and Jake discuss the latest and speculate on who could take the top job. Plus, the pair discuss never-ending strikes at Qantas and the return of the ACCC’s quarterly reports on aviation. 

Babcock Australasia and Ambulance Victoria perform vital work in the state, serving 5.5 million people and retrieving or treating 6,000 patients a year – many of them in critical condition. This week, we speak to two of Babcock’s aviation personnel working on the front line, senior base pilot Heath Mastin and senior aircrew officer Ryan Hurrell. The pair discuss how the team in the air works together in pressurised situations, the types of missions they respond to and where their passion for aviation came from.

Former fighter pilot Christian “Boo” Boucousis was one of the original hosts of the Australian Aviation Podcast when it launched in 2020. Now he’s back from his new home of Miami, Florida, to talk about how the industry has changed from the dark days of the pandemic. He tells host Adam Thorn why the enhanced opportunities to fly in the US don’t compare to the perfect Aussie lifestyle and what air forces worldwide need to do to retain their pilots. Plus, the pair discuss Boeing’s unending nightmare with its MAX – and what they can do to fix it.

This week, Qantas unveiled a flash new safety video that took in destinations as varied as Litchfield National Park and Lapland. The problem is not one bit of it was filmed in an aircraft. This week, the team discuss whether it’s too smart for its own good, endangering safety, or whether the Flying Kangaroo’s critics are more interested in holding a grudge. Plus, will Western Sydney Airport finally break the monopoly of monopoly airports and bring competition to the country’s domestic aviation sector? 

The release of the December BITRE data for on-time domestic performance has seen carriers such as Rex and Qantas rush to claim victory over their rivals. But with on-time performance across the board still well below the long-term average – plus airfares still too high – should major airlines really be celebrating? Adam and Jake crunch the numbers, including a horror month for Bonza in the wake of its Gold Coast nightmare. Plus, Sydney Airport draws a line under COVID-19, Virgin receives an unexpected ally in the battle for Bali, and Australian Aviation branches out into buses.

So much for New Year’s resolutions. As we enter 2024, Virgin and Qantas are attacking each other in a bid to operate lucrative flights to Bali. Virgin says Qantas relies too heavily on overseas aircrew, while Qantas says Virgin charges too much. Who are we to believe? In this episode, Adam and Jake discuss the latest. Plus, with flights at record numbers, is the COVID-19 crisis finally over? 

Over the Christmas holidays, two major international aviation stories got Australians talking, with radically different impacts for planemakers. Airbus was hailed for its innovative aircraft design after everybody onboard an exploding A350 miraculously escaped unharmed. However, Boeing faced another backlash after a door on an Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9 blew out mid-flight. It came after the same aircraft type was involved in two fatal crashes and Boeing was fined billions. In this episode, Adam and Jake talk about the latest developments and discuss what impact it will have on the local sector. 

It’s been an unpleasant couple for weeks for Bonza, the new kid on the Australian aviation block, with mass cancellations of its new Gold Coast routes while it waits for CASA to clear its wet-lease operations with Flair. With customers fuming and damage control efforts underway, whose fault is the Gold Coast debacle, and what could have been done differently? In the last Australian Aviation podcast for the year, Adam and Jake discuss the fallout and the optics for Bonza, and how its rivals are capitalising on its misfortune. Plus, Richard Branson graces Australia with his august presence once again, Qantas gears up for a massive holiday peak, Australia’s international recovery continues to race towards 100 per cent, and we thank the people who made our podcasts possible this year.

In November, UNSW Aviation held a panel to discuss the government’s aviation white paper, which will create a long-term strategy for the industry for the next three decades. The session featured a collection of senior figures who gave a diverse range of views, including those who are pilots, lawyers, executives and policy experts. It was chaired by Australian Aviation’s Adam Thorn. In this special podcast, we’re giving our audience the chance to listen to the full debate.

In a spectacular proof of concept, Virgin Atlantic has flown the world’s first commercial flight – from London to New York – powered entirely by sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) derived from waste fats and plant sugars. At a time when standards dictate a maximum of 50 per cent SAF blend, will Virgin Atlantic’s argument of “if you make it, we’ll fly it” spur further action from industry and governments? Jake and Adam discuss the implications of the flight and how it could be a major step on the road to net zero. Plus, Mildura Airport repairs its runway almost as fast as the lightning that struck it, Virgin boosts its 737 MAX 8 order, Airservices reveals why there’s no “magic number” for ATC staffing, and do Australian air passengers need a “bill of rights”?

In the wake of Alan Joyce’s exit from the Flying Kangaroo, aviation luminary Peter Harbison has released Alan Joyce and Qantas: The Trials and Transformation of an Australian Icon. The book charts the former CEO’s life and career, from his youth in Ireland through to his defection from Ansett to Qantas, his role in the launch of Jetstar, and his turbulent 15 years as CEO of Australia’s biggest airline group. In this exclusive interview, Jake Nelson talks with Harbison about his book, as well as his impressions of Alan Joyce’s successes, failures and legacy. Plus, Harbison offers his insights on the lessons new Qantas CEO Vanessa Hudson should take from the Joyce era, and what the rise of Rex and Bonza might mean for the Qantas-Virgin duopoly.

First Alan Joyce, now this – Australian Aviation’s Chris Fenton is leaving us. In his (sort of) final episode, the team farewells the man who has held almost every job in aviation. But before he goes, Adam, Jake and Chris discuss the week’s biggest stories, including Virgin’s deteriorating relationship with the unions and the ongoing row over single-pilot flights. Plus, how will Canadian crew working for Bonza cope with the Goldie’s scorching summer?