Australian Aviation Podcast Network

Dogged reporter, podcast host, and writer with total disrespect for word counts: Hannah Dowling made quite the impression during her two years at Australian Aviation. As she leaves for a new life in the US, she sits down with co-host Adam Thorn to talk through her favourite moments. The pair also find time to discuss the latest stories, including the ongoing talent shortage in the industry and the...

This week has seen Qantas in the headlines again over poor service, flight disruptions, and a new program that would see its corporate executives moving passenger baggage. In this episode of the Australian Aviation Podcast, hosts Adam Thorn and Hannah Dowling discuss the latest of Qantas' woes as staff shortages take their toll. Plus, the team discusses Bonza's first 737 MAX, which officially touc...

The COVID-19 crisis may have receded, but it's been replaced by soaring inflation, rising interest rates, and worries about a possible recession. It's being caused by the continued impact of pandemic restrictions, the war in Ukraine, talent shortages, and supply chain issues. In this special episode of the Australian Aviation Podcast, Adam Thorn speaks to MGD Wealth's Richard Marsden and Jessica H...

The struggles of the global aviation industry hit a little closer to home this week. In this episode of the Australian Aviation Podcast, hosts Adam Thorn and recently-returned Hannah Dowling discuss Hannah's experiences touring overseas in the post-pandemic world. Plus, the team reveal the latest statistics on aviation's recovery and question how anyone is supposed to travel amid inflated fares, g...

Defence Space Command is the new space division of the ADF and currently resides within the RAAF. On this week's episode, Bella Richards sits down with its new head, Air Vice-Marshal Catherine Roberts. The two discuss what the new division will do and why it is so significant as space becomes more congested and contested.  Plus, the Air Vice-Marshal also explains her experiences in the early years...

Doug Morris has been an Air Canada pilot for 26 years, and currently flies 787s. If his name sounds familiar, it's because we ran extracts from his fantastic new book — called This is Your Captain Speaking — in our last issue of Australian Aviation's print magazine. In it, he spills the trade secrets of flying long haul — everything you wanted to know, but were too afraid to ask. In this episode,...

Merren McArthur has certainly made her mark on Australia's aviation sector as the former CEO of Virgin Australia Regional Airlines and Tigerair who was dedicated to improving female engagement in aviation. In this episode of Sky's The Limit, hosts Hannah Dowling and Anna Grbas sit down with Merren to discuss how she navigated her own career progression out of in-house counsel to the C-suite level...

This week, Bonza unveiled its new 'wear it your way' uniforms, while the ACCC revealed that Australia's domestic passenger capacity reached 89 per cent of pre-COVID levels in April. In this episode of the Australian Aviation podcast, hosts Adam Thorn and Hannah Dowling discuss how aviation's recovery continues to catch the industry off guard. Plus, the team reveals Bonza's plan for its crew to don...

On Thursday, 26 May, a Chinese-built J-16 fighter jet "cut across the nose" of a RAAF P-8 Poseidon, getting so close that the fighter's chaff was "ingested" into the aircraft's engine. In this episode of the Australian Aviation Podcast, hosts Adam Thorn and Hannah Dowling reveal what they know so far about the incident, the aircraft, and the message being sent by China. Plus, the team discusses Vi...

This week, Rex and Qantas are back to their old tricks, resorting to name-calling and finger-pointing over key network decisions. In this episode of the Australian Aviation Podcast, hosts Adam Thorn and Hannah Dowling give you the run-down of what's going on, and why two of the country's major airlines continue to battle it out in the media. Plus, the team discusses where we stand in our domestic...

In April, aerospace composite business and MRO provider Quickstep signed a pioneering $30 million long-term maintenance contract with Jetstar. It was hugely significant for our industry because it was the first time a deal of this nature had been awarded to a local, independent MRO provider after an extensive global tendering process. In this special episode of the Australian Aviation Podcast, the...

As aviation awakens from its COVID hibernation, it's facing a huge shortage of skilled workers across multiple professions.    In this special podcast episode, host Adam Thorn speaks to William Horrocks and Leif Mawson from training organisation Aviation Australia.    Their business knows all about the industry's issues first-hand, as they work nurturing up-and-coming pilots, cabin crew, drone ope...

After sitting in storage for over two years, a Virgin-branded Boeing 777 has taken to the skies again, being ferried from Wellcamp to Brisbane. In this episode of the Australian Aviation podcast, hosts Adam Thorn and Hannah Dowling are back in the studio to discuss the possible explanations behind this curious move. Plus, the crew reveals the details of a new lawsuit taken against Virgin's pre-adm...

The Flying Kangaroo dominated the headlines again this week in the aftermath of its Project Sunrise A350 order, as well as a major bid to take over Alliance Aviation, and a loss in court. In this episode of the Australian Aviation Podcast, hosts Adam Thorn and Hannah Dowling discuss Qantas' moves this week, and the possibility of a more sinister story bubbling underneath. Plus, the team fleshes ou...

Qantas this week announced a record-breaking order for aircraft, after firming up an order for 12 Airbus A350-1000s, alongside up to 134 A321XLR and A220s to replace its domestic fleet. In this episode of the Australian Aviation Podcast, hosts Adam Thorn and Hannah Dowling discuss Qantas' major Project Sunrise milestone and what this means for future passengers. Plus, the crew talks through the cu...

In the last two weeks, headlines have been filled with concerning insights into the corporate culture of both Qantas and Virgin, as customers grow increasingly frustrated with the current state of affairs. In this episode of the Australian Aviation Podcast, hosts Adam Thorn and Hannah Dowling discuss this week's viral story of photos showing Qantas A330 crew sleeping across economy passenger seats...

The COVID crisis may have receded, but with soaring inflation and war in Eastern Europe, aviation professionals are gearing up for more challenging years to come. In this special episode of the Australian Aviation podcast, MGD Wealth's Alec Berry and Richard Marsden discuss what they're hearing from their clients working in frontline aviation roles. They talk through how it's easier than you think...

Australians are finally getting back in the air, as seen during scenes of chaos at Australia's airports this week. In this episode of the Australian Aviation Podcast, hosts Adam Thorn and Hannah Dowling discuss the ins and outs of travelling overseas in a post-COVID world, in light of Hannah's recent trip to Bali. Plus, the team discusses the outrageous hours-long lines seen at Australia's major a...

Upset Prevention and Recovery Training (UPRT) is finally being recognised by Australia's aviation regulators in recent days.    On this week's episode of the Australian Aviation Podcast, host Bella Richards chats with UPRT Australia's founders Shane Tobin and Jeremy Miller. The company began last year and provides specialist training for pilots on how to avoid and recover from an aircraft upset. ...

More than two years since our Black Summer, Australia is beginning to rethink how we fight bushfires in the air. On this special episode of the Australian Aviation Podcast, host Adam Thorn speaks to Wayne Coulson, the CEO of one of the world's leading aerial fighting companies. He talks about why we should be fighting fires at night; why companies, not governments, should lead innovation; and how...

How do big Australian primes work with smaller businesses in the supply chain? In this special podcast, host Adam Thorn interviews Chris Hess, Head of Industrial Development at Lockheed Martin Australia and Gavin New, the general manager of Ronson Gears. The pair have been working together on a range of projects across defence and aerospace and reveal the secrets behind making the relationship wor...

In this bonus episode of the Australian Aviation podcast, hosts Phil Tarrant and MAJGEN (Ret'd) Marcus Thompson discuss the importance of Australian business, including the aviation sector, preparing for possible cyber threats. The pair begin by discussing MAJGEN (Ret'd) Thompson's recent opinion piece in The Australian Financial Review, which dives into Russia's history of cyber and information w...

After missing out on our usual news-loaded podcasts for a few weeks, the team sure had plenty to catch up on this week. In this episode of the Australian Aviation Podcast, hosts Adam Thorn and Hannah Dowling give you the run-down, spanning everything from flash floods, tensions in Europe and financial results. Plus, Bonza has seen turbulent times this week with the shock departure of its chief ope...

In this episode of the Australian Aviation Podcast, host Phil Tarrant and guest Air Vice Marshall (Ret'd) John Quaife, AM, sit down to discuss John's new book  Viking Boys . A former Air Commander Australia, John spent nearly three decades in the Royal Australian Air Force as a fighter pilot. After retiring from the force, he became a member of the Defence Honours and Awards Appeals Tribunal, wher...

This week, start-up budget carrier Bonza lifted the lid on its initial route offerings, which includes 25 routes to 16 destinations, with base operations split between the Sunshine Coast and Melbourne. In this special bonus episode of the Australian Aviation Podcast, host Hannah Dowling sits down with Bonza CEO Tim Jordan to talk through the airline's initial network, and learn more about the proc...