Will Australia have its own ‘Ryanair’?
Australian Aviation Podcast Network
t’s been two years since the collapse of Bonza and Rex – and while Koala Airlines is yet to launch, another aviation contender could be entering the market before long. Dubbed Zinc Airlines, the ultra-low-cost-carrier would pursue a business model similar to European airlines Wizz Air and Ryanair, with its founder saying Western Sydney Airport would offer a unique opportunity for new contenders – but is he right? On this week’s Australian Aviation Podcast, Jake and David look at Zinc’s plan to shake up the domestic aviation market, whether it can avoid the fate of failed carriers...
info_outline
Is it worth complaining about flight delays?
Australian Aviation Podcast Network
We’ve all been delayed at the airport at some point, or know someone who has – but still, to learn that 55 per cent of Aussie travellers in a recent government survey were hit by a flight delay or disruption between August 2024 and 2025 puts the whole issue in sharp relief. And yet, perhaps more surprising is how few of them have complained – not because of how happy they were with the service, but because they didn’t think their complaints would go anywhere. That might be set to change with new government regulations and an independent ombudsman … but is it too little, too late for...
info_outline
How Deb Lawrie blazed the trail for equal flights
Australian Aviation Podcast Network
In the 1970s, a young pilot called Deborah Lawrie did something nobody had thought possible: took on the might of Ansett, at the time one of Australia’s two big airlines, all the way to the High Court – and won. Her goal? To overturn Sir Reginald Ansett’s long-standing ban on women in the cockpit and become Australia’s first female commercial airline pilot. Her landmark case – and her incredible subsequent career – paved the way for female aviators after her to make their mark on Australian skies. Now working for Virgin Australia, Deb is the oldest and longest-serving female pilot...
info_outline
From washing planes to flying them
Australian Aviation Podcast Network
When he was just 12 years old and growing up near Shellharbour Airport, Riley McDonald knew he wanted to fly – so he started spending his free time heading down to the airport and washing people’s planes in exchange for lessons. At age 16 he was flying solo and earning his pilot’s licence, and now at 25, he works as a professional skydiving pilot and aircraft maintenance engineer, and has taken out a National Advanced Champion title for aerobatics. Mentored by none other than Paul Bennet, Riley is now gearing up to fly with the Paul Bennet Airshows team at Wings Over Shellharbour this...
info_outline
Iran war turns our skies upside-down
Australian Aviation Podcast Network
With the Iran conflict driving up fuel prices amid an ongoing cost-of-living crisis, you might expect international travel to plummet and airfares to soar – but it turns out the real picture is a touch more complicated than that. While airlines have been pruning services and hiking prices, both Qantas and Virgin have launched huge domestic sales to try to woo customers with millions of discounted seats, while Sydney Airport just saw the best quarter for international travel in its history. On this week’s Australian Aviation Podcast, Jake and David try to make head or tail of the...
info_outline
Fixing the talent pipeline, with Anntonette Dailey
Australian Aviation Podcast Network
It’s well-known that the aviation and aerospace sector has been suffering under a talent shortage for some time now – not to mention the challenge of promoting greater diversity in the workforce. One potential solution? To encourage more young people to enter the industry – to cultivate a love of aviation from an early age, and help kids realise it could hold their dream job. Together with the CSIRO’s STEM in Schools program, industry bodies like Aviation/Aerospace Australia are doing just that by going into schools and holding talks and workshops on what an aviation career could mean...
info_outline
The future of Australia’s air defence
Australian Aviation Podcast Network
The government has rolled out its 2026 National Defence Strategy and Integrated Investment Program, and there’s plenty to dissect for aviation – an early sunset for Tiger helicopters, the retirement of the C-27J Spartan, and a $7 billion boost to counter-drone defences, just to start with. While the RAAF alone is slated to get between $34-41 billion over the next 10 years, as the world becomes more unstable and traditional alliances get shakier, is Australia doing enough to bolster its own air defences? On this week’s Australian Aviation Podcast, Jake and David are joined by aerospace...
info_outline
Who killed Bonza?
Australian Aviation Podcast Network
When plucky start-up airline Bonza collapsed in 2024, everyone was quick to point the finger at its business model as the reason for its failure – yet often overlooked was the role its financiers, 777 Partners, played in its demise by abruptly cutting off funding without warning. With the Miami-based investment firm now drowning in lawsuits and criminal investigations, Bonza’s former chief executive, Tim Jordan, this week came out swinging in an Australian Aviation interview where he pointed the finger squarely in its direction over the carrier’s fate. On this week’s...
info_outline
Bonza’s Tim Jordan breaks his silence
Australian Aviation Podcast Network
When Bonza burst onto the scene in 2023 with its bright purple tails, its budgie smugglers, and its unique “point-to-point” business strategy, the scrappy start-up airline – and its chief executive Tim Jordan – looked to be sparking a revolution in the domestic market. Just over a year later, however, the lofty goal of being “here for Allstralia” lay in ruins, with Bonza’s financier 777 Partners abruptly pulling funding and letting its aircraft be repossessed, leaving Jordan and the rest of the airline’s staff and passengers holding the bag. It’s easy in hindsight to say that...
info_outline
Is Kuala Lumpur the next Changi?
Australian Aviation Podcast Network
As Gulf travel remains dicey and Australian travellers rush to connect through Asia, the usual hubs like Singapore and Hong Kong are being joined by other contenders eager to take a slice of the layover pie – and Malaysia Airlines is jockeying to make Kuala Lumpur one of them. A stone’s throw from Singapore and with a raft of connections into Asia and Europe, Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA, to its friends) has the backing of Malaysia’s flag carrier, generally lower airfares, and room to grow – but can it take on the might of Changi? On this week’s Australian Aviation...
info_outlineIf 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?