On this week’s episode of AvTalk, a pair of incidents involving civilian aircraft and military aircraft without active transponders operating in Curaçao’s airspace sounds a bit too familiar. We discuss the events from the last week and the state of airspace in the southern Caribbean.

NTSB chair Jennifer Homendy had choice words for Congress after legislation weakening airspace protections put in place in the wake of January’s crash in Washington DC passed as part of the NDAA. But the Senate has now passed the ROTOR Act, which seeks to further strengthen those protections. We discuss what this might mean for aircraft operators in the US over the next few years.

Elsewhere, Spirit Airlines is still operating and a merger with Frontier is back on the table… again. A sun visor detached on a Malta Air 737 leading to an engine shutdown. And Lufthansa received an offer from the US Air Force it couldn’t refuse and will now say goodbye to a pair of 747-8Is in 2026.

Thank you so much for listening to AvTalk! Like the podcast? Have suggestions for future shows? Let us know by leaving a review or comment on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you listen to your podcasts. Reviews on iTunes not only help us make a better show, they help more people find the podcast! Want to send us additional feedback, just email us. And tell that friend who asked you for a podcast recommendation that AvTalk is the one they want to listen to next.

Please click here for a transcript of this week’s episode.

The post AvTalk Episode 350: “Outrageous:” close calls near Venezuela appeared first on Flightradar24 Blog.

On this week’s episode of AvTalk, Ian and Jason return from their respective travels to survey this week’s news. We return to India where IndiGo’s meltdown last week left the government none-too-pleased with the airline. In the US, Peraton gets the nod as the FAA’s prime integrator for ATC modernization. Boeing completes its acquisition of Spirit Aerosystems (with Airbus picking up some pieces too).

A quickly fixed typo in a Qantas computer started a chain of events that resulted in a 737 taking off thinking it was much lighter than it actually was. And Air India is on the hook for more than $100,000 after discovering they own a 737-200 freighter that had been collecting dust in Kolkata for more than a decade.

Thank you so much for listening to AvTalk! Like the podcast? Have suggestions for future shows? Let us know by leaving a review or comment on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you listen to your podcasts. Reviews on iTunes not only help us make a better show, they help more people find the podcast! Want to send us additional feedback, just email us. And tell that friend who asked you for a podcast recommendation that AvTalk is the one they want to listen to next.

Please click here for a transcript of this week’s episode.

The post AvTalk Episode 349: How do you forget about a 737? appeared first on Flightradar24 Blog.

On this week’s episode of AvTalk, Ian is joined by new Flightradar24 crew member Daniel Gustafsson in the Flightradar24 offices in Stockholm, while Jason finishes his journey through Japan’s cat cafes.

We walk through the current NOTAMs affecting flights in and around Venezuela, as well as some of the unofficial pronouncements made with regard to Venezuelan airspace. We also discuss new reporting on the rift between the NTSB and India’s AAIB regarding the investigation of AI171. Airbus A320 family aircraft were grounded for a period last week to address a vulnerability in certain elevator aileron computers (ELAC). And a pair of reports show the benefits of the ground proximity warning system (GPWS).

Thank you so much for listening to AvTalk! Like the podcast? Have suggestions for future shows? Let us know by leaving a review or comment on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you listen to your podcasts. Reviews on iTunes not only help us make a better show, they help more people find the podcast! Want to send us additional feedback, just email us. And tell that friend who asked you for a podcast recommendation that AvTalk is the one they want to listen to next.

Please check back soon for a transcript of this episode.

The post AvTalk Episode 348: Consider the airspace closed in its entirety appeared first on Flightradar24 Blog.

On this week’s episode of AvTalk, Ian is joined by aviation journalist Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren to discuss a trio of recently released preliminary accident reports.

Plus, Jason reports in from Seoul, South Korea where he’s joined by Seth Miller. They chat about their very different methods of getting from the US to Seoul this week and Seth’s quest to achieve the JetBlue 25for25 prize.

Wishing all our listeners in the US a very happy Thanksgiving!

Thank you so much for listening to AvTalk! Like the podcast? Have suggestions for future shows? Let us know by leaving a review or comment on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you listen to your podcasts. Reviews on iTunes not only help us make a better show, they help more people find the podcast! Want to send us additional feedback, just email us. And tell that friend who asked you for a podcast recommendation that AvTalk is the one they want to listen to next.

Please check back soon for a transcript of this episode.

The post AvTalk Episode 347: Fatigue cracks, thrust levers, and sand ballast appeared first on Flightradar24 Blog.

On this episode of AvTalk, the Dubai Airshow wraps up with a long list of major orders and other announcements. The FAA cancels its cancellation order and air traffic in the US returns to pre-government shutdown levels. Plus, anti-GPS jamming technology is coming from Fokker Services in early 2026.

We’re also joined by The Up Front editor-in-chief and Airbus A340-600 aficionado/historian John Walton for an in depth discussion on the development and staying power of Airbus’ longest airplane. AvTalk listeners have exclusive access to a special 24% off subscription rate to The Up Front.

Thank you so much for listening to AvTalk! Like the podcast? Have suggestions for future shows? Let us know by leaving a review or comment on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you listen to your podcasts. Reviews on iTunes not only help us make a better show, they help more people find the podcast! Want to send us additional feedback, just email us. And tell that friend who asked you for a podcast recommendation that AvTalk is the one they want to listen to next.

Click here for a transcript of this episode.

The post AvTalk Episode 346: The A340-600 episode appeared first on Flightradar24 Blog.

On this week’s episode of AvTalk, US airspace held together—barely—with hastily announced cuts to flights at major airports going into effect and air traffic controller staffing triggers peaking on Sunday. We also discuss comments from President Trump (09:23-15:28) on controller staffing during the shutdown and what effect that sentiment might have on controllers in the future.

Updates on the crash of UPS 2976, including the latest updates from the NSTB and the FAA’s decision to ground the MD-11 fleet for inspections.

Australian investigators detail two flights that came extremely close to construction workers on the runway. And United files its response to a lawsuit from passengers who say they paid for a window seat, but all they got was a view of the aircraft sidewall. Listen to the discussion and let us know if you’re also “reasonable people.”

Thank you so much for listening to AvTalk! Like the podcast? Have suggestions for future shows? Let us know by leaving a review or comment on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you listen to your podcasts. Reviews on iTunes not only help us make a better show, they help more people find the podcast! Want to send us additional feedback, just email us. And tell that friend who asked you for a podcast recommendation that AvTalk is the one they want to listen to next.

Please click here for a transcript of this episode.

The post AvTalk Episode 345: Reasonable people appeared first on Flightradar24 Blog.

On this week’s episode of AvTalk, we discuss what we know so far about the crash of UPS Airlines flight 2976 in Louisville. To manage some of the burden on air traffic controllers during the government shutdown, the US is telling airlines to cancel up to 10% of their flights in major markets. Embraer says it is working on new ideas, but who knows which ones will come to market? And a bill working its way through the legislature in Brazil reads like a list of consumer complaints against airlines.

Thank you so much for listening to AvTalk! Like the podcast? Have suggestions for future shows? Let us know by leaving a review or comment on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you listen to your podcasts. Reviews on iTunes not only help us make a better show, they help more people find the podcast! Want to send us additional feedback, just email us. And tell that friend who asked you for a podcast recommendation that AvTalk is the one they want to listen to next.

Please click here for a transcript of this episode.

The post AvTalk Episode 344: UPS flight 2976 appeared first on Flightradar24 Blog.

On this week’s episode of AvTalk, we chat with Katherine Moloney, a pilot and founder of Elevate(her) Aviation, an organization dedicated to raising the percentage of women in aviation careers around the world. Elevate(her)’s research has led to some obvious immediate changes that would be beneficial to the industry overall and others that offer a more sustainable path to growing the number of women joining—and staying—in aviation.

Also in this week’s episode,

Thank you so much for listening to AvTalk! Like the podcast? Have suggestions for future shows? Let us know by leaving a review or comment on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you listen to your podcasts. Reviews on iTunes not only help us make a better show, they help more people find the podcast! Want to send us additional feedback, just email us. And tell that friend who asked you for a podcast recommendation that AvTalk is the one they want to listen to next.

Please click here for a transcript of this week’s episode.

The post AvTalk Episode 343: It’s a retention issue appeared first on Flightradar24 Blog.

On this week’s episode of AvTalk, we discuss two statistically improbable events — an airACT 747 veered off the runway and struck a vehicle before ending up in the sea and a United Airlines 737-8 MAX struck something at 36,000 feet. We walk through the most likely scenario at this point.

Lack of communication (literally) leads to a diversion in Omaha, the NTSB releases its preliminary report on the runway overrun in Roanoke, Boeing is moving up to production of 42 737s per month, and the US Senate advances a bill that would add requirements for ADS-B In usage and remove exemptions for most military flights.

Thank you so much for listening to AvTalk! Like the podcast? Have suggestions for future shows? Let us know by leaving a review or comment on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you listen to your podcasts. Reviews on iTunes not only help us make a better show, they help more people find the podcast! Want to send us additional feedback, just email us. And tell that friend who asked you for a podcast recommendation that AvTalk is the one they want to listen to next.

Please click here for a transcript of this episode.

The post AvTalk Episode 342: Two statistically improbable events appeared first on Flightradar24 Blog.

On this week’s episode of AvTalk, Russian president Vladimir Putin admits Russian air defenses damaged Azerbaijan Airlines flight 8243 before it crashed near Aktau in Kazakhstan. American Airlines unveils its centennial logo ahead of its 100th anniversary next year. More than half of Finnair’s A321 fleet is currently undergoing inspections after the seat covers were washed with water. And there’s money behind a bid to revive Pan Am, with a plan for a hub in Miami.

Thank you so much for listening to AvTalk! Like the podcast? Have suggestions for future shows? Let us know by leaving a review or comment on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you listen to your podcasts. Reviews on iTunes not only help us make a better show, they help more people find the podcast! Want to send us additional feedback, just email us. And tell that friend who asked you for a podcast recommendation that AvTalk is the one they want to listen to next.

Please click here for a transcript of this week’s episode.

The post AvTalk Episode 341: Dry Clean Only appeared first on Flightradar24 Blog.