Australian Aviation Podcast Network

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 in the competitive, male-dominated aviation space. Merren also shares how she was able to improve female participation not only in her pilot cohort, but also in her senior management teams at Tiger — a plan she intends to use again in her new role. Finally, Merren reveals the details of her new venture with Canadian startup budget carrier LynxAir, and the number one piece of advice she would offer to her younger self.

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 shorts, blazers, and sneakers aboard its fleet of Boeing 737 MAX jets. Finally, the crew discuss the newest developments in Rex and Qantas's ongoing feud over network decisions.

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 Virgin's latest move to show support and recognition towards its workforce after two years of hardship. Finally, Adam shares the very exciting story of Qantas' last Boeing 747 being finally moved out of the California desert and a possible future return to Australian shores.

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 business' executive general manager of aftermarket services, Tim Gent, talks about the deal's importance. He also chats with host Adam Thorn about how the country competes to secure global deals, how to fix engineering skill shortages and Quickstep's investment in unmanned aircraft.

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-administration management team by angry, "gypped" bondholders. Finally, the team dives into international aviation's recovery trajectory, and what to expect in the next edition of the Australian Aviation magazine.

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 out the details of Qantas' lost bid to overturn a Federal Court ruling that states its decision to outsource 2,000 workers was illegal, Finally, the crew discusses the next edition of the Australian Aviation magazine, including a mammoth feature into the upcoming launch of budget start-up Bonza.

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 current state of domestic aviation, Virgin's new 737 MAX order, and Qantas' Project Winton deliveries. Finally, the team reveals new insights into the slow recovery of the international travel sector and shares their predictions for what to expect next.

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 onboard a flight from Brisbane-LA. Plus, what do these photos have in common with ongoing EBA disputes between Qantas and its cabin crew, eight-hour long customer service hold-times, and chaotic scenes at airports? Finally, the team discuss their thoughts on Virgin's ongoing corporate culture problems, and whether they think there's more to this story.