Ben Baldanza Podcasts

Our editors at the IATA AGM in Istanbul heard discussions on aviation sustainability, OEM supply chain frustrations and other key issues.

This week: Simon Hawkins, Head of Virgin Atlantic, Americas; Also: Ben & Scott talk about business mistakes made and lessons learned; Listener Q: Why did Delta do away with Northwest Cargo Airline? How about Alaska cargo?By Ben Baldanza & Scott McCartney

Ahead of the IATA AGM, Walsh talks about the industry’s main focus areas.

This week: Barry Biffle, CEO, Frontier Airlines; Scott attempts to pass Professor Baldanza's end of term quiz; Listener comments on American's DFW expansion, Charter flight rules, Operations from FBOs, Thoughts on pilot training, and more.By Ben Baldanza & Scott McCartney

This week: Ted Christie, CEO, Spirit Airlines - recorded live on stage at Aviation Festival Americas 2023; American comes to agreement with pilots; JetBlue/American Northeast Alliance struck down; In-person listener question: Why no all-luxury airline startups?By Ben Baldanza & Scott McCartney

Editors discuss why Colombia made a rescue of LCC Viva almost impossible.

This week: Karen Walker, Editor in Chief, Air Transport World; ATW Awards, Follow up on J.D. Power satisfaction survey; American's operational issues; Airfare inflation numbers; Potential new regulation while major FAA issues persist; Will passengers pay more to fly a more sustainable airline?By Ben Baldanza & Scott McCartney

Leaders from ACI Europe and IATA share their views on the European recovery, following a lively debate at Routes Europe 2023 in Poland. Listen in as Olivier Jankovec and Rafael Schvartzman discuss the state of the market with Aviation Week Network's David Casey and Victoria Moores.

This week: Jonathan Sutter, Sr Director - New J.D. Power Airline Rankings; Congratulations to Ben Baldanza, 2023 recipient of the Joseph S. Murphy Award for service to industry. FAA redraws high altitude route maps; SWA adds USB outlets, bigger bag bins; Vanessa Hudson named Qantas CEO; Listener input: A request for more interview push-back; Local …

Nick Calio, the head of Airlines for America, talks operational readiness for the summer travel season, Air Traffic Control modernization, and why flying today is better value than ever.

This week: Tom Doxey, President, Breeze Airways; American's $10M Q1 profit & tops on-time departures; SWA loses a 1B in past 6 months; A focus on airline stock winners & losers; Capital Access Alliance calls for increased flight to/from DCA; Listener Q on stability & profits post-Covid,By Ben Baldanza & Scott McCartney

Aviation Week editors discuss the rising number of greenwashing allegations leveled at airlines and the increasing challenge that the industry faces in effectively communicating its sustainability efforts.

This week: David Siegel, Senior Advisor, Apollo Global Management; Another SWA tech issue delays 2000 flights; Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun dealing with delivery issues; EUROCONTROL gets hacked; TSA gun confiscations at checkpoints increases; Listener input: Context to LAX $30/hr wage comments, Winning as an airport's #2 airline; Pilot seniority system;…

The head of one of the world’s most successful and highly regarded airlines, which is the 2023 ATW Airline of the Year, talks about its COVID rebound and long-term strategy.

This week: Randy Babbitt, Principal, Babbitt & Associates, Fmr FAA Administrator; Delta reports Q1 loss; Ed Bastian says consumers still prioritizing travel; Is a $30/hr minimum wage coming to LAX? Reflections on earnings season; Listener questions: What does Cross-Check actually mean? Did JetBlue miss a big Frontier opportunity?…

Baldanza talks about his long airline career that started at American and included transforming Spirit into an ultra-low cost carrier.

This week: David P. Pekoske, Administrator, Transportation Security Administration (TSA); Update on schedule cuts at NY & DC; Serious FAA staffing issues; Dutch court blocks Amsterdam Airport Schiphol from reducing flights; ATL ranked busiest in the world; Future Air Taxi framework; Listener input: DOJ/JetBlue/Spirit/Frontier, basis for pilot pay, …

Listen in as Finnair CEO Topi Manner explains how his airline has adapted its strategy and innovated after back-to-back crises laid waste to its business model.

This week: Alex Wilcox. CEO, JSX; Correction on AA fare distribution channels; FAA requests fewer flights in NY & DC; Mandatory car seats on planes; Subsidies for airports in smaller communities? Listener input: Need more guest diversity, how to deal with abusive passengers, response to Mo Garfinkle interview.…

Peter Cerda challenges governments to remember all the good that airlines do.

This week: Philip Ordway, Managing Principal, Anabatic Investment Partners LLC; Skytrax gives LGA 5 stars: We salute NY/NJ Port Authority's Rick Cotton and the late Bill DeCota; AA Shrinks Corporate sales department/restricts lowest fair purchase options; Listener input on DOJ actions, pilot recruitment & diversity pathways;…

Canada’s Porter Airlines is in the midst of dramatically changing its overall business strategy with the introduction of new Embraer E195-E2 aircraft. Interviewed at Routes Americas 2023, vice president of network planning and reporting Andrew Pierce explains more about the carrier’s plans.

This week: Mo Garfinkle, Chairman, CEO, & Founder, Tailwind Consultants; A different opinion on JetBlue/Spirit; United projects Q1 loss; What might 2023 year look like & is 2019 a fair comparison? Southwest announces post-meltdown followup plans; Schiphol adopts NATS technology; Flair Air sues over 4 repo'd planes; Listener Q: Why the Repo?…

Emirates President Sir Tim Clark talks about his 50-year career, the Emirates blueprint and where he believes the air transport industry is heading.

This week: John McDonald, Founder, Caeli Communications; DOJ suit to block JetBlue/Spirit merger & Scott McCartney provides context and price comparison details; JetBlue plans NYC-Paris service; Listener Q: Do some personality types fit better at a particular airline? Do certain beverages taste better at 30,000 feet?…

Aviation Week editors discuss the highly lucrative market between Europe and North America, where demand for flights has returned stronger than ever.

This week: Atif Elkadi, CEO, Ontario International Airport; Forbes article follow-up: Ben's "Airline Monopoly" analogy explored in detail; How Delta Pilots 34% wage hike will affect others; American updates family seating policy; Explosive material in bag discover by TSA;By Ben Baldanza & Scott McCartney

Aviation Week editors discuss the twists and turns of ultra-low cost carrier Viva Colombia, which suspended operations this week.

This week: Josh Marks, CEO, Anuvu; AA Chairman Doug Parker steps down; United and Frontier change family seating procedures; Max crash victims case vs Boeing dismissed; Private industry sustainable fuel initiative-how impactful?; Significant summer schedule cuts from AA and Lufthansa; Listener input: PRIA data transparency…

Editors discuss airline failures, acquisitions and partnerships that will shape the European aviation market as it heads into its busiest season.

This week: Geoff Hunt, Sr. VP Engineering & Technology, Pratt & Whitney: Another close call: United departing Maui; Air India orders 470 new planes; JetBlue says Spirit deal will result in big South Fla expansion; Scott's take on the deal; Listener feedback: 1500 hour rule discussion/pilot training.By Ben Baldanza & Scott McCartney

As international travel surges back across the Asia-Pacific region, what does the future hold for this dynamic aviation market? Aviation Week Network's David Casey and Chen Chuanren are joined by ASM consultant Tony Griffin in Chiang Mai, Thailand, at Routes Asia 2023.

This week: Mike Swiatek, Chief Strategy & Planning Officer at Avianca and Chairman, Accessibility Working Group at IATA; Focus on Safety & Accessibility; United's Super Bowl ad swipes at Southwest; Biden SOTU attack on industry seating practices & Issues with A4A response statement; Listener follow-up on Colgan Crash comments.…

ATW editor-in-chief Karen Walker and IATA VP North America Doug Lavin discuss changes that could make buying an air ticket more complicated and more expensive.

This week: Kevin P. Healy, President, Campbell-Hill Aviation Group; Also: 747 Trivia with Chris Sloan vs Ben & Scott. Do you know the answers? President Biden wants "junk fees" reigned in; Norway airline Flyr shuts down & files for bankruptcy; Jeff Shane provides a 747 legacy clarification.By Ben Baldanza & Scott McCartney

Aviation Week editors talk about being at the delivery ceremony of the last Boeing 747 and why it is such an important aircraft.

This week: Mark Dombroff, Partner at Fox Rothschild LLP: Q4 and 2022 earnings reports released; 2023 projections bullish; Should someone go to jail over the 737 Max incidents? Listener Q's on mainline aircraft replacing regionals, thoughts on the A220, passenger delays vs airplane delays.By Ben Baldanza & Scott McCartney

From consolidation and summer operations to greenwashing and policy shifts, Altair Advisory’s Patrick Edmond joins to discuss what's next for European airlines.

This week: Michael Lombardi, Senior Corporate Historian, The Boeing Company - Last 747 rolls off the production line. Learn what made the 747 so special to aviation; New Wall Street Journal airline rankings & methodology; Reaction to more Scott Kirby statements; SWA pilot union mentions potential strike vote; Listener Q topics: The "Captain Shortag…

After a decline in alliances, every airline now seems ready to either renew a partnership or start a new one. Aviation Week Network air transport editors explore why collaboration is back in vogue.

This week: Peter Greenberg, Travel Editor at CBS News; FAA's NOTAM system fails, 10,000+ flights affected; Scott reports on his conversation with Southwest CEO Bob Jordan. What happened, refund status, independent investigation, and more; Original Air Force One being restored.By Ben Baldanza & Scott McCartney

Almost three years after mainland China closed its borders to quell the spread of COVID-19, quarantine restrictions were finally lifted on Jan. 8, putting international travel back on the agenda. The country has also reopened its border with Hong Kong, removed restrictions on international flights and begun to process passport applications. Listen …

This week: Rob Britton, Principal, AirLearn, Are alliances outdated? Southwest takes a $800M hit; What's the future of passenger re-accommodations? United's claims "best airline in the world" - has a mixed week; Delta announces free Wi-Fi; Mexico launching a military run airline? Listener Q: Airline foreign partnerships/equity stakes.…

Editors discuss what happened to Southwest’s operations over the holidays and the potential implications of the IT meltdown on the wider industry.

This week: Gordon Bethune, former CEO, Continental Airlines; Welcome Scott McCartney as Ben's new co-host; Southwest's Christmas Crisis - Blame IT? 2023 predictions; What to expect from the DOT this year; Changing loyalty programs; Listener "Old Croakey" thank you to Chris Chiames.By Ben Baldanza & Scott McCartney

This week: 2022 wrap; Chris passes the mic as we welcome former Wall Street Journal "Middle Seat" columnist Scott McCartney to the podcast as Ben's new co-host; A fresh take from Scott on the JetBlue/American Northeast alliance; Frequent flyer programs get tighter; Where would our hosts invest $10k right now? Next episode Jan 4th, 2023. Happy New Y…

ATW editors discuss key events and trends in 2022 and look ahead to 2023.

This Week: John Heimlich, VP & Chief Economist, Airlines for America on 2022/2023; JetBlue / American Northeast alliance increases flights; Huge Boeing order from Tata / Air India, plus United 787 order; Boeing requests extension on FAA requirement; Listener Q: Why not go direct to Europe from smaller markets with A220's? Unhappy with Delta Sky Clu…

IATA Chief Economist Marie Owens Thomsen shares the latest forecast data and insights on where the global airline industry is headed through 2023 with Window Seat host Karen Walker.

This week: Anne Correa, SVP, Airline & Airport Services, mba Aviation; Chris Sloan reports on Southwest Airlines' Media Day; Listener feedback on the Hertz interview and the Kirby vs Biffle viewpoint discussion. Shout-outs.By Ben Baldanza & Scott McCartney