Australian Aviation Podcast Network

High airfares are a continual thorn in the side of Australian travellers, and especially those in the regions – which is one reason why Tim Jordan embarked on his ill-fated attempt to be "here for Allstralia" with Bonza, flying point-to-point regional services with a low-cost ethos. After a couple of years out of the limelight, Jordan has put his head back above the ramparts with a submission to the Productivity Commission pointing the finger squarely at the dominance of the big airlines – particularly Qantas – as a major contributor to the high cost of flying from the regions. On this week's Australian Aviation Podcast, Jake and David examine Jordan's arguments and ask once again how Australia can bring more competition to its skies – and bring those soaring ticket prices back to earth. Plus, updates from the Gulf as limited commercial flights resume and the RAAF sends reconnaissance planes to ward off Iranian strikes.

There is, as a wise journalist (no, not us, we said "wise") has pointed out, always an aviation angle. As Iranian bombs rained down across the Gulf following strikes by the US and Israel, countries like the UAE and Qatar suddenly found themselves uncomfortably less insulated than they thought, with even airports in Dubai and Abu Dhabi being damaged in the crossfire. Unfortunately, these countries also happen to be major global aviation hubs, and thousands of flights over the past few days have been cancelled, leaving passengers stranded – which raises the question: in the wake of the chaos, will cautious flyers start avoiding Europe flights through places like Dubai, Doha and Abu Dhabi in favour of less volatile hubs like Singapore and Hong Kong? On this week's Australian Aviation Podcast, Jake and guest host Bethany Alvaro examine the Iran conflict's impact on aviation and ask whether Australian airlines and travellers have put too many of their eggs in the Gulf's basket. Plus, half-yearly results are out for airlines on both sides of the Tasman – which carriers had a better six months than the others?

After decades of will-they-won't-they, the government seems determined to press on with high-speed rail from Sydney to Newcastle (honestly pinky promise for real this time) as the first stage of an ambitious plan to connect the eastern corridor all the way from Melbourne to Brisbane. If all goes ahead, then, what will that mean for aviation on the east coast? Could Australia finally see more competition on the Golden Triangle from an entirely different source – and will airports reap the benefits nonetheless? On this week's Australian Aviation Podcast, Jake and David dig into the government's business case for high-speed rail and discuss whether it will actually happen – and whether it would be friend or foe to the air transport sector. Plus, Daniel Croft from AI Daily returns to the show to go through some of the latest forays into aviation from our ever-present robot overlords.

Just when you thought it was safe to go back to the airport, the debate over noisy aircraft – excuse us, "sky kittens" – has reared its head once again, with community advocates calling for a curfew in Brisbane. According to the Brisbane Flight Path Community Alliance (BFPCA), curtailing the sky kittens' purring with a nightly curfew would boost residents' well-being and property values at minimal economic cost – but the airport has pushed back, saying it could be disastrous for Queensland residents. On this week's Australian Aviation Podcast, Jake and David wade into the continuing stoush around aircraft noise in Brisbane, and discuss how the health and comfort of locals should be balanced with the need for reliable and affordable air transport. Plus, Qantas wins bronze in the on-time Olympics – and could Addis Ababa be the next Dubai?

With Productivity Commission and Senate inquiries set to spin up later this year, it's been a blockbuster week for regional aviation in the news. From support for regional cities left in the lurch by the Rex administration, to calls for a "fairer" system for the regions, to rebrands and axed routes, the headlines have been dominated by turboprops and council-owned airports, shining a much-needed spotlight on the country. On this week's Australian Aviation Podcast, special guest host and former Rex and Virgin Australia pilot, Captain Michelle Huntington, returns to lend Jake her regional aviation expertise as they unpack all the big news from outside the big smoke. Plus, will the government's new consumer protection measures drive up airfares as the airlines claim, and is Qantas trying to destroy the competition on a Pacific island route?

Qantas is officially exiting the low-cost market in Asia, announcing this week that it will sell off its shares in Jetstar Japan, which comprise a third of the airline, and focus on its operations closer to home. The surprise move comes not long after the shuttering last year of Singapore-based Jetstar Asia – and with the Flying Kangaroo out of the picture, what is to become of its now-former Japanese joint venture after 14 years in the skies? On this week's Australian Aviation Podcast, Jake and David look at what's next for Jetstar Japan as it prepares for new ownership – and new branding. Plus, as if normal weather wasn't bad enough, now airlines have to worry about space weather, too – so how can we defend aircraft from software-scrambling cosmic rays?

The verdict is in: after a review by the Department of Finance, government travellers will be allowed to continue to claim airline status credits on flights for official business, though taking advantage of bonus credit offers is definitively out. It's a victory for Qantas, which insists that letting bureaucrats take advantage of perks like lounge access and baggage allowances saves taxpayers money – and a setback for Virgin, which argues that the policy unfairly favours Qantas and incentivises taking more expensive flights on the public purse. On this week's Australian Aviation Podcast, Jake and David dive back into the debate around public servants' airline benefits and ask whether Finance got the balance right. Plus, a new report warns that cyber-criminals could use drones to hack into Australia's critical infrastructure – but how can a pineapple be used maliciously, and what do raspberry pies have to do with it?

It's a tug-of-war as old as aviation itself – airlines and airports wrangling over fees – and now, the airlines have the ACCC (at least partially) on their end of the rope. The consumer watchdog and the airline industry are both pushing for an overhaul to the current regulations which they say benefit "geographic monopoly" airports like Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth, and lead to higher fees and airfares – but are they right? On this week's Australian Aviation Podcast, Jake and David wade into the eternal stoush and examine the arguments on either side – as well as what the airports need all that money for. Plus, the latest in the saga of Western Sydney Airport's delayed metro line; passenger numbers continue to surge; and what's the latest on China's answer to Boeing and Airbus?

As AI becomes more ubiquitous in everyday life, airlines like Qantas and Virgin Australia are looking to increase their use of AI tools in operational and customer-facing areas of their business. Proponents say AI can improve efficiency, safety, productivity and customer experience in aviation – but what are the risks? On this week's Australian Aviation Podcast, Jake and David are joined by Daniel Croft of AI Daily to discuss whether we should welcome our new robot overlords. Plus, where do Australian airlines stand in the region's on-time performance stakes?

With just 5.1 per cent of roles in air traffic controllers, pilots and licensed aircraft maintenance held by women – and only 4 per cent globally for pilots – the pace of change towards gender parity in aviation is still glacial. Though Australia's figures are a little higher, even here we still have a long way to go, and with the aviation industry crying out for talent, it's clear that we need to make a big push for a more diverse workforce. Leidos Australia has recently hit its goal of 20 per cent female pilots, with the aerospace firm driving hard towards a more inclusive corporate culture at the same time. On this week's Australian Aviation Podcast, Jake Nelson talks to Jesse Young from Leidos and Kristen Raby of Aviation/Aerospace Australia on how the industry can learn from Leidos' example, and how to break down the barriers to a more diverse workforce.

Keeping operational manuals up-to-date is a vital part of ensuring that any aviation company is maintaining regulatory compliance and that staff are aware of the latest policies and procedures. Many businesses, however, are still using outdated and clunky methods such as Word documents and PDFs to distribute their manuals – a time-consuming and error-prone process that presents significant operational risks. Web Manuals, an all-in-one document management system, has recently arrived in Australia and is offering flexible, adaptable, AI-enabled editing, review, distribution and monitoring of operational manuals and other important documents. On this week's Australian Aviation Podcast, Jake Nelson speaks to Web Manuals CEO Martin Lidgard on the company's Australian expansion and the importance of streamlining compliance management of operational manuals.

It could have been Australia's worst-ever airline disaster – but it wasn't. When an engine exploded aboard Qantas flight 32 in 2010, its crew were faced with a "black swan" event, one so unthinkable they could not possibly prepare for it. With critical systems in chaos and hundreds of lives at stake, the A380's crew, led by Captain Richard de Crespigny, had to figure out how to get the plane safely back on the ground … and over the course of several harrowing hours, they succeeded. Not only did the team save the aircraft with the odds stacked against them, but they got every single soul off the aircraft without even one injury, cementing QF32's place in the aviation history books for all the right reasons. In this week's Australian Aviation Podcast, Captain de Crespigny tells Jake Nelson the story of QF32, 15 years on – and what it taught him about the value of resilience.

A year is a long time in aviation, and 2025 has seemed a longer year than most – what with the long-running Rex administration; Qantas' ongoing travails; Virgin Australia's tie-up with Qatar Airways and subsequent IPO; fleet renewals aplenty; and a deluge of other news. Looking ahead, 2026 looms as what will doubtless be another huge year for the sector, including the opening of Western Sydney International Airport, the delivery of Qantas' first Project Sunrise jets, and the potential entry of new airlines to Australia's skies. On the final regular Australian Aviation Podcast for this year, Jake and David reflect on what 2025 brought and what 2026 is set to bring – and wish you all the best for the holiday season. Plus, a truly astonishing escape for a Queensland skydiver, and Qantas' newly-returned A380 is grounded again.

If there's one issue that never really goes away for Australia's aviation sector, it's airfares. Massive demand has pushed prices up, according to the ACCC, with October airfares at their highest since 2022, despite both Qantas Group and Virgin Australia adding extra capacity. To make matters worse for those out west, the WA government is set to increase caps for regional airfares during "high-demand" periods, while the spectre of rising airfares also appears to have spooked Canberra into nixing plans for an EU-style "pay-on-delay" scheme. On this week's Australian Aviation Podcast, Jake and David look at the factors putting the squeeze on Australian travellers' wallets, and whether newer, larger, and more efficient aircraft might bring some relief. Plus, the last Qantas A380 comes home, skydiving instructors jump off the job, and is Australia playing catch-up on border processing technology?

If you were looking to fly anywhere in Australia this past weekend: we're so sorry to hear it. Between a fire at Melbourne Airport, the grounding of half of Jetstar's A320 fleet, and a nationwide passport processing outage, delays and cancellations plagued travellers for three days straight. Now that everything has (thankfully) returned to normal, what exactly was the deal with that Airbus software update – and what does it mean for the workhorse A320, one of the most popular passenger aircraft types in the world? On this week's podcast, Jake, David and Bethany sift through the ashes of a chaotic weekend in the skies, and analyse the aftermath of the A320 grounding. Plus, Virgin's flirtation with ChatGPT, international traffic continues to surge, and how safe is it to step on board a hot-air balloon?

With outdated and confusing systems and processes common across the aviation industry, safety and compliance can be a thorny problem for many businesses, with "data silos" holding up procedures. OneReg, a New Zealand-based company, aims to change all that, moving businesses away from cluttered folders of Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, and PDFs to centralise compliance on one easy-to-use platform. With customers across Australia, New Zealand, the UK and EU, and the Middle East, OneReg is looking to enable industry-wide data sharing to help the aviation sector move away from tick-box compliance and into a new "gold standard". On this podcast, Jake Nelson talks to Clint Cardozo and Carly Waddleton from OneReg on the perils of data silos in aviation, and how to streamline the regulatory compliance process.

After months in the works, it's official – from December, you'll be banned from using or charging your portable power bank on flights with any major airline in Australia. Qantas, Jetstar and Virgin, which already require power banks to be carried in cabin baggage and kept within easy reach, will now prohibit passengers from using them entirely – instead, you'll need to use in-seat power if available, or simply go without. On this week's podcast, as the start dates loom, Jake and David revisit the airlines' power bank ban and examine the safety issues that have driven it. Plus, does Western Sydney Airport need more support to get its lofty ambitions off the ground?

It's said that every accident makes aviation safer – but that doesn't happen on its own. Across the globe, air incident investigators are on the scene whenever something goes wrong with an aircraft, finding out the root of the problem and making sure it doesn't happen again. But what skills are most important to investigators: aviation experience, or scientific training and critical thinking? What does an investigation team need to be certain they've got it right? In this podcast, Professor Brett Molesworth, head of UNSW School of Aviation, hosts a wide-ranging conversation on the fundamental tension between traditional aviation expertise and scientific methodology in incident investigation. Join him in this fascinating panel discussion with Wing Commander Clare Fry, Defence Flight Safety Bureau; Dr Curtis Calabrese, United Airlines captain, director of operations for Skyways Charter, former FAA Inspector and U.S. Navy Reconnaissance pilot; Dr David Wilson, senior transport safety investigator, ATSB; and James Barnett, manager group investigations, Qantas.

It's only been a few months since the end of Jetstar Asia, but now Jetstar is looking to make a bigger push back into the Singapore market. Starting next March, the low-cost carrier will fly between the Lion City and Bali … but that won't be the end of the journey. In an interesting twist, the Singapore–Bali services will only be one leg on direct routes connecting through to the Sunshine Coast and Newcastle, a pair of smaller airports in regional cities that wouldn't normally expect to see Singapore services – so, what's the plan for Jetstar? On this week's Australian Aviation Podcast, Jake, David and Bethany take a look at Jetstar's new Singapore routes, what they might do for the cities they serve, and what might be next. Plus, the plan to link Western Sydney Airport to high-speed rail – will it ever happen, and what will come of it if it does?

A few short years ago, Project Sunrise – Qantas' plan to fly non-stop from the east coast to London and New York – was a mere gleam in Alan Joyce's eye. Now, however, as the first A350-1000ULR gets ready to have its engines fitted, those marathon flights are looking closer than ever. While there's still a lot of work to be done, including extensive test flights, before the plane can be delivered in 2026 ahead of Project Sunrise's planned 2027 launch, there's now something undeniably concrete about the Flying Kangaroo's ultra-long-haul ambitions – but will they succeed? On this week's Australian Aviation Podcast, Jake and Bethany discuss the milestone and what it might be like to spend upwards of 22 straight hours in the sky. Plus, Avalon Airport is set to return to international flights – is Melbourne's second gateway finally seeing some love?