Australian Aviation Podcast Network

Hosted by Momentum Media

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Episodes

397

Latest episode

Jun 2026

Language

EN-AU

About the show

The official podcast network of Australian Aviation – where we unpack all the latest insights and developments plus the big issues impacting Australia's aviation sector.

Listen to episodes

60 recent

June 10, 202634 min

What will replace the A380?

After almost 20 years in service, the end is approaching for Qantas' fleet of Airbus A380 superjumbos, with the Flying Kangaroo slated to retire the aircraft type in the 2030s in favour of smaller and more efficient wide-body twinjets. As rumours swirl that Qantas is in talks with Boeing and Airbus to buy more 787s or A350s, could these potential orders be the replacement for its A380s – and how soon will the double-decker leviathans of the sky vanish completely? On this week's Australian Aviation Podcast, Jake and David compare the options for Qantas' wide-body fleet renewal and ask whether a smaller plane can do the work of the A380. Plus, a major milestone for Project Sunrise as the first A350-1000ULR takes to the skies for its rigorous testing program.

June 3, 202643 min

The buzz on drones

It's been a big week for drones, with news that Wing has quietly pulled its drone delivery operations from Australia, Vivid Sydney has pulled its drone show after 89 of them not-so-quietly fell in Darling Harbour, and Australian and Ukrainian troops are jointly training in counter-drone tactics. With a report for Airservices a couple of years ago predicting Australia could see 60 million drone flights per year by 2043, it's clear drones are here to stay in our airspace – the only question is, in what forms? On this week's Australian Aviation Podcast, Jake and David ask whether drone delivery will come back to Australia and if drone show technology is truly ready for the big time, and examine how drone warfare is reshaping the modern battlefield. Plus, airlines push back on the government's aviation consumer legislation – but do their arguments pass the pub test?

May 27, 202650 min

The long wait for Sunrise

If the darkest hour is just before the dawn, it's going to be a long night for anyone looking to fly non-stop from the east coast to London or New York – yet another delay has pushed back the launch of Qantas' 22-hour "Project Sunrise" flights to later in 2027. With the first of the Flying Kangaroo's specially-fitted A350-1000ULRs now not slated to arrive until April next year due to supply chain issues at Airbus, how much longer will Australians have to wait for the game-changing ultra-long-haul services? On this week's Australian Aviation Podcast, Jake and David look into the latest Project Sunrise delays and what's still needed before the flights can get off the ground. Plus, welcome news for regional airports hit by the Rex collapse, while ASIC wins a surprising mea culpa from the airline's former boss.

May 21, 202650 min

Will Australia have its own 'Ryanair'?

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 before it, and how it might take the fight to the big boys. Plus, the 2026 budget is out – what's in the government's $731.1 million aviation package, and what's got the GA and tourism sectors all riled up?

May 13, 202649 min

Is it worth complaining about flight delays?

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 our trust in the airline industry? On this week's Australian Aviation Podcast, Jake and David swap war stories of flight delays and examine just how satisfied Australians are with our airlines and airports. Plus, amid scandals and stoushes galore, could Western Sydney Airport's metro line end up delayed until 2028?

May 6, 202648 min

How Deb Lawrie blazed the trail for equal flights

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 at any commercial airline in the world, and has just released a new memoir, Touching the Sky, recounting her fight against Ansett and what came next. On this week's Australian Aviation Podcast, Deb sits down with Jake to discuss how she caught the flying bug at an early age, how she took down the aviation titan that was Sir Reg Ansett, and the highs and lows of more than four decades of flying.

May 1, 202618 min

From washing planes to flying them

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 month, and says airshows and open days are the perfect entry point to bring more young enthusiasts into the industry. On this Australian Aviation Podcast, Riley tells Jake Nelson how he chased his dream of a career in aviation – and how we can encourage other aspiring pilots and engineers to do the same.

April 29, 202642 min

Iran war turns our skies upside-down

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 unexpectedly topsy-turvy outcomes of the Middle East crisis on our aviation sector, and examine how the world's airspace is being reshaped – for now or for good. Plus, Western Sydney Airport's new flight paths are locked and loaded – what can Sydneysiders expect when the first cargo planes arrive in July?

April 24, 202629 min

Fixing the talent pipeline, with Anntonette Dailey

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 for students' futures. On this Australian Aviation Podcast, Jake talks to Anntonette Dailey of Aviation/Aerospace Australia about the root causes behind the talent crisis, what the industry is doing about them, and the support it needs to bring young people along for the ride.

April 22, 202644 min

The future of Australia's air defence

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 and defence lead Stephen Kuper to discuss what Australia is doing – and could be doing – to safeguard its skies. Plus, the Iran conflict has driven Australian traffic to the Middle East off a cliff – which hubs are picking up the slack, and what's happening to our domestic capacity?