The Air Show

Brett Snyder recaps his trip to Dallas for Southwest Airlines' investor day, even though we already knew the news: assigned seating, expanded extra-legroom sections, and network changes, plus how Southwest is planning to improve productivity. And the big question: will all of this be enough to please Elliott Management, Southwest's activist investor? We would like to thank our sponsors,...

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 logistics of acquiring Hawaiian. Alaska has a lot of work to do to combine the airlines' fleet, loyalty programs, and network strategy. It also needs to do something highly unusual for a U.S. airline — run two full-service brands on a sing...

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 Brian Sumers talk about the strike by the largest group of workers at Boeing, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM). The strike, the first in 16 years, affects production on the 737, 767, and 777 lines. Boe...

The U.S. Department of Transportation informed the four biggest airlines it would like more information about their frequent flyer programs because it is concerned about hidden pricing, extra fees, devaluation of rewards and miles, and reduced competition. Brian Sumers, Brett Snyder and Jon Ostrower discuss DOT's apparent interest in this crucial aspect of the airline business, the timing (an...

This week Jon Ostrower and Brian Sumers discuss Airbus — its history, its engineering and development strategies, and its approach toward sales. Ostrower and Sumers also explain how Airbus’ relentless desire to make its aircraft incrementally better over time has given it an advantage over Boeing (at least for now). We would like to thank Ferrovial and TCG Digital for sponsoring The Air Show. Ques...

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 read feedback from a former CEO (whose former company was the subject of a recent episode) and answer listeners' questions about the fate of ULCCs in Europe, Southwest's metal needs, exemplary C-suite behavior, and more. We...

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 movies, this might actually be about... JetBlue? Listen in to hear about this grand battle, and stay for the Revolutionary War history. We would like to thank Ferrovial and TCG Digital for sponsoring The Air Show. Questions, responses o...

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 does anyone care)? What airplane is going to be able to take off on its own? Who might very well be running Boeing by the time this episode goes live? It's all there this week.  A programming note: This is our last episode before a tw...

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 business tough for the ULCCs, a dark prediction for the sector from a premium airline's CCO, and some possible solutions for these airlines. We would like to thank TCG Digital for sponsoring The Air Show. Questions, responses or feedb...

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 has been trying to figure out a profitable winter strategy that works for its West Coast-heavy network since its very gloomy 2023 Q1. Brian Sumers, Jon Ostrower and Brett Snyder discuss the new routes the airline announced this week...

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 Delta's numbers, its fleet management and operations, and the issue of overcapacity in the US airline market. We would like to thank TCG Digital for sponsoring this episode. Questions, responses or feedback? Visit www.theairshowpodcast.co...

The last twelve years have been a transformative era for WestJet — management has added complexity and made strategic decisions yielding mixed results for the current business climate. But it's a more interesting and complicated story than that, as Brian Sumers and Brett Snyder discuss. We would like to thank  TCG Digital  for sponsoring this episode. Questions, responses or feedback? Visit w...

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 executives...and what happened when the NTSB heard what was going on. Visit theairshowpodcast.com to get in touch with us.

Weeks ago, we planned to discuss Southwest's underperformance — but so much has happened since then. Legacy-loving Southwest now has an activist investor, which bought more than 10 percent of company shares and has launched an effort to blow up the board and fire CEO Bob Jordan. Brett Snyder, Jon Ostrower and Brian Sumers discuss the post-pandemic state of Southwest that likely led Elliott In...

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 useful it is as an observer of the industry, the elevator interactions with airline executives (the good, the bad and the very awkward), and Enrique Iglesias.

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 duopoly of airplane manufacturers, his outlook on United's competitors and U.S.-based ULCCs, and his analysis of United's success. We would like to thank Anuvu for their sponsorship of The Air Show. Questions, responses or feedback...

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 job.  What happens next? Brett Snyder and Brian Sumers discuss Raja's ouster, the unfinished projects that will be left for his successor and CEO Robert Isom, and more. Would you like to reach top talent at global airlines with...

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 discuss the new strategies Frontier Airlines is adopting in the face of this trend: new fare families to match the legacy airlines, changes to its network, and its fleet strategy (and order book). Would you like to sponsor future episodes...

The Brazilian manufacturer has a decision to make. Should it focus on what it already does well, including regional jets, small narrowbodies, and business jets? Or should it take a chance and build a bigger airplane that might compete directly with the 737 and A320 families? Jon Ostrower and Brian Sumers discuss Embraer’s dilemma in this week’s episode. We would like to thank Plusgrade and Uplift...

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 them to run their operations more flexibly in terms of pilots, security, and more under Parts 135 and 380. The industry is divided on whether this is good or bad, but it has generated some real debate in Washington. Jon Ostrower and Brett Sny...

American Airlines has a bold, new strategy that forgoes managed corporate bookings for direct bookings while remaking its entire sales effort. With the first quarter over and done, how is that plan-turned-strategy working out so far? This week, Brian Sumers, Brett Snyder and Jon Ostrower discuss the first indicators of American's grand plan. We would like to thank Plusgrade and Uplift for the...

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 single-aisle aircraft, has serious issues with reliability and durability, and a seriously long MRO timeline. The engine itself is an innovation — a major leap in fuel efficiency, which will only become more necessary — but...

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 discuss the numbers each airline reported, and what they shared about corporate travel, the summer travel season forecast, the importance of brand and reliability, and more. We would like to thank Plusgrade and Uplift for their sponsors...

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 against Delta, and how JetBlue faltered when Delta expanded in Boston. The particulars of each city — their changing economies and corporate needs, their specific brand loyalty, and regional feed and fleet  — make an interesting case study. We...

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, a former top executive of Singapore Air, is tasked to remake the flag carrier under new private ownership. Pieter Elbers, the former CEO of KLM, now leads the very profitable and market-dominant IndiGo, despite growing pains. Brian and Jon...