Shows / The Air Show
The Air Show
Jon Ostrower, Brian Sumers and Brett Snyder discuss the business of the sky on this aviation podcast.
Episodes
- The Air Show
Michael O'Leary knows what the %$# he's doing
This week, Jon Ostrower and Brian Sumers discuss Ryanair's recent financial performance and its chief executive's extremely disciplined focus on its growth and…
- The Air Show
What's next for U.S. regionals
With Mesa set to merge into Republic, Brian Sumers, Jon Ostrower, and Brett Snyder look at what's coming for a shrinking industry. They ask whether mainline…
- The Air Show
Caviar, ottomans, and more premium inventions
This episode is about the finer things. Brian Sumers and Brett Snyder discuss the ever-escalating race to premium, including United's forthcoming changes to…
- The Air Show
A Newark state of mind
This week, Jon Ostrower and Brett Snyder discuss EWR's air traffic control staffing and equipment issues, and the decision to relocate operations to…
- The Air Show
What you need to know about Boeing, tariffs and Chinese aviation
Impacts from the trade war with China are landing at Boeing and in U.S. aviation more broadly. Due to high tariffs, Chinese airlines are declining to take…
- The Air Show
Are Spirit and Sun Country a Match?
Brett Snyder has been watching Spirit's network strategy closely, and this week he floats the idea that Spirit is not only becoming more like Sun Country but…
- The Air Show
Some China news, United's earnings, and your questions
Jon Ostrower and Brian Sumers talk about United's earnings call, and the challenges surfacing for Boeing now with delivering aircraft to Chinese airlines…
- The Air Show
Uncertainty reigns and this industry feels the pain
With economic uncertainty casting a shadow over the U.S. economy, Brian Sumers, Brett Snyder, and Jon Ostrower dive into the impact this will have on both the…
- The Air Show
The homework years
Jon Ostrower brings the latest news from Airbus’s recent summit in Toulouse: planned innovations in aircraft, efficiency and sustainability, despite an…
- The Air Show
What's certain is uncertainty
Amid economic and political uncertainty in North America, everyone is trying to read the tea leaves, memes and booking data to figure out what's going on, and…
- The Air Show
The next leader of the FAA + Spirit's growing debt
This week, Brett Snyder, Jon Ostrower and Brian Sumers discuss President Trump's pick for FAA administrator: Bryan Bedford, CEO of Republic Airways. They also…
- The Air Show
Demand is softening
Amid uncertainty in the U.S. economy and political climate, airlines say they're seeing softness in domestic demand. How bad is it? Brian Sumers and Brett…
- The Air Show
It's sexy to be nominated at the CNAs
Brett Snyder's annual Cranky Network Awards is the event of the year and the place to be for the airline industry professionals that some people (possibly his…
- The Air Show
Change is hard
Southwest Airlines is in a major transition — layoffs, an activist investor, and a changing product. Of course, it's an especially major transition for this…
- The Air Show
United Makes a Move to Dominate Chicago
United thinks it has found a way to once and for all make the airline Chicago's dominant player, but American is still standing in the way. Jon and Brett talk…
- The Air Show
Now Boom moves on to the hard part
Brian Sumers, Brett Snyder, and Jon Ostrower discuss Boom's recent supersonic test flights — a big achievement for the start-up — and the challenges ahead. Is…
- The Air Show
An American tragedy on the Potomac
Jon Ostrower, Brian Sumers and Brett Snyder discuss the tragic collision of American Eagle flight 5342 and a US Army Black Hawk helicopter near Washington…
- The Air Show
JetBlue turns to connections
Brian Sumers puts Brett Snyder on the hot seat on a bunch of things going on at US airlines this month. They discuss schedule changes JetBlue made in Boston…
- The Air Show
Spirit's next act
As it plans to emerge from bankruptcy, America's first ULCC is trying to reinvent itself as a more upscale airline with higher costs. Spirit Airlines says it…
- The Air Show
This is not a predictions episode
It's our final episode of 2024! Brett Snyder, Brian Sumers and Jon Ostrower chat about what 2025 may bring: mergers and a new regulatory environment? a handoff…
- The Air Show
Ben Minicucci on Alaska's global ambitions
Ben Minicucci joins the show to discuss Alaska's big news today — and then some. Minicucci talks about the airline's aggressive growth plans, which it says…
- The Air Show
Is 'durable and differentiated' enough for Delta?
The top U.S.-based airline continues to play it cool. Delta's execs were casual during the airline's most recent investor day — yes, Delta's targeting younger…
- The Air Show
Marty St. George on his second act at JetBlue
Marty St. George joins the show this week to discuss his second stint at JetBlue, this time as president. With Brian Sumers, Jon Ostrower and Brett Snyder, St…
- The Air Show
A321XLR - Revolution or Replacement?
The A321XLR entered service with Iberia on November 14, and so begins the next generation of long-haul, narrowbody flying. Will this usher in an era of new and…
- The Air Show
Southwest's détente
Is the drama over? Is this a ceasefire? An agreement to cooperate? Brett Snyder, Brian Sumers and Jon Ostrower discuss the recent détente between Southwest…
- The Air Show
Boeing still ain't going
The Boeing strike continues. On Wednesday, 64% of machinists rejected Boeing's negotiated proposal, extending the strike indefinitely. Earlier that day…
- The Air Show
United's network: PDEWs and PQ
United Airlines is making moves and announcing splashy new routes — the kind you might expect from an airline with a healthy balance sheet and an innovative…
- The Air Show
American and Southwest play opposites
Brett Snyder and Jon Ostrower discuss Q2 2024 data for the domestic airline market. American Airlines faced significant challenges. Southwest, in contrast…
- The Air Show
Southwest is ready to change
Brett Snyder recaps his trip to Dallas for Southwest Airlines' investor day, even though we already knew the news: assigned seating, expanded extra-legroom…
- The Air Show
Alaska and Hawaiian: now what?
Now that the U.S. government has approved the merger, Brett Snyder, Brian Sumers, and Jon Ostrower talk (and speculate) about how Alaska might navigate the…
- The Air Show
A strike lands at Boeing
It was a busy week in the aviation world in the Pacific Northwest. We'll get to the Alaska-Hawaiian merger soon — this week Jon Ostrower, Brett Snyder and…
- The Air Show
Frequent flyer programs on notice
The U.S. Department of Transportation informed the four biggest airlines it would like more information about their frequent flyer programs because it is…
- The Air Show
The Airbus episode
This week Jon Ostrower and Brian Sumers discuss Airbus — its history, its engineering and development strategies, and its approach toward sales. Ostrower and…
- The Air Show
The Air(mail) Show
It's August and we've been on vacation recently, so our inbox is pretty stuffed with emails, feedback and questions from you. Brian Sumers and Brett Snyder…
- The Air Show
The Great Battle of Connecticut
Avelo found a good thing in New Haven and grew into Hartford. Breeze had been in Hartford, but now it's going into New Haven. Despite these seemingly related…
- The Air Show
The Air Show goes to an airshow
Jon Ostrower spent time at this year's Farnborough International Airshow, and he brought back all kinds of knowledge to share. Who had the most orders (and…
- The Air Show
The ULCC cycle of death
It is not looking great for ultra-low-cost carriers based in the U.S. — especially Frontier and Spirit. Brian Sumers and Brett Snyder discuss what's making…
- The Air Show
Alaska searches for light in winter
Alaska Airlines is on a mission to do something about its dark, dismal winters (and no, we're not just talking about this past winter's foibles). The airline…
- The Air Show
Delta is still on top
Delta had a strong second quarter and its executives were more talkative than usual about the state of the industry. Brian Sumers and Jon Ostrower discussed…
- The Air Show
Can airlines learn from WestJet?
The last twelve years have been a transformative era for WestJet — management has added complexity and made strategic decisions yielding mixed results for the…
- The Air Show
Boeing's unforced error
Jon Ostrower talks with Brett Snyder about the two days he spent at Boeing this week, touring factories and walking the line and hearing from Boeing…
- The Air Show
Southwest faces its biggest challenge
Weeks ago, we planned to discuss Southwest's underperformance — but so much has happened since then. Legacy-loving Southwest now has an activist investor…
- The Air Show
The IATA AGM report + Ben Smith interview
Jon Ostrower and Brian Sumers interview Air France-KLM CEO Ben Smith, and they catch up with Brett Snyder about this year's IATA annual general meeting — how…
- The Air Show
The Scott Kirby interview
United CEO Scott Kirby joins Brian Sumers and Jon Ostrower for a wide-ranging interview from the IATA general meeting in Dubai. Kirby discussed Boeing and the…
- The Air Show
The spectacular failure of American's commercial strategy
Vasu Raja — American's chief commercial officer who remade the airline's distribution strategy and network to less-than-stellar performance — is now out of a…
- The Air Show
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…
- The Air Show
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…
- The Air Show
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…
- The Air Show
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…
- The Air Show
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…
- The Air Show
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…
- The Air Show
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…
- The Air Show
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…
- The Air Show
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…
- The Air Show
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…
- The Air Show
Welcome to The Air Show
Three top commentators/reporters on the business of aviation and airlines join forces in this new podcast. Jon Ostrower (The Air Current), Brian Sumers (The…