
The Air Show
Jon Ostrower, Brian Sumers and Brett Snyder discuss the business of the sky on this aviation podcast.
Episodes
57 episodes
JetZero has potential
Will the next major competitor to Boeing and Airbus be JetZero and its blended wing passenger airplane? Jon Ostrower and Brett Snyder talk about JetZero's Z4 design, which aims to offer significant fuel efficiency gains over traditional tube-an...
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30:56

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 cost control strategies — and his colorful dismissals of anything in the way of its ...
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27:25

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 airlines still need so many regional partners now that E175s and CRJs are much more exp...
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33:12

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 its premium international service, and Delta and American's investments in and strategi...
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32:10

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 Pennsylvania with special guest Will Guisbond from The Air Current. Then, Brett and Jon talk ab...
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30:24

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 deliveries of Boeing aircraft — as many as 50 planes destined for China this year will ne...
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27:50

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 it could benefit from joining forces with the airline. Brian Sumers, however, th...
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26:37

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. Plus: Brian and Jon answer your questions about ultra-long-haul flying, OEM's commitment ...
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30:18

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 aircraft manufacturers and the airlines themselves. (Spoiler alert: it's not good new...
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26:37

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 increasingly fragmented global economic and political world. Ostrower tells Brett Snyder the...
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28:27

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 that includes the leadership of Canadian and Mexican airlines. Brett Snyder and Brian...
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27:34

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 discuss Spirit Airlines' turnaround plan as it emerges from four months of bankruptcy...
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28:41

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 Snyder followed the J.P. Morgan Industrials conference this week and they discuss whether...
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33:01

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 co-hosts on this podcast) think are the nerdiest of the aviation nerds: network plann...
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26:38

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 airline because of its conservative culture, strategy, and history. Brett Snyder, Brian...
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33:33

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 about exactly what United has found, and then discuss what American's options are.&nb...
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22:45

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 there a market for a return to supersonic commercial flight? Is there enough money to...
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32:34

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 National Airport last week, ending an unprecedented era of US aviation safety. Jon Ostrow...
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28:26

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 and New York, and rapid-fire questions about American and Chicago, Hawaiian and its 787...
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30:57

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 needs to move upmarket to attract new customers who want a better product. But hosts B...
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28:15

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 at the FAA? assigned seating on an airline previously opposed to assigned seating? P...
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29:55

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 target $1 billion in incremental profits by 2027. Those plans include new international ...
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50:28

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, more affluent customers and it's experimenting with A.I. for revenue management, but...
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32:24

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. George discusses the turnaround he intends to oversee at the struggling JetBlue to i...
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49:26
