
Simple Flying Aviation News Podcast
By Simple Flying
The Simple Flying Podcast - hosted by Tom Boon and Channing Reid is your go to podcast for commercial aviation news and insight.
We discuss the top commercial aviation news stories each week, all of the stories discussed can be found on simpleflying.com.
We discuss the top commercial aviation news stories each week, all of the stories discussed can be found on simpleflying.com.

Simple Flying Aviation News PodcastDec 13, 2024
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22:00

#255: Alaska Airlines Retires World's 1st Boeing 737-900, MEM On The Move! & Other Hot Topics
In episode 255 of the Simple Flying podcast, Channing is joined by Terry Blue, the President and CEO of the Memphis Shelby County Airport Authority, for an exclusive interview about all the happenings at Memphis International Airport. Other hot topics discussed include:Southwest Airlines beginning cabin retrofits in MayAlaska Airlines retiring the Boeing 737-900 series prototypeFrontier Airlines passenger stopped from flying home with their pet bird
Apr 10, 202526:51

#254: American Airlines Fire Lawsuit, 2025's Best April Fools, & 3 More Aviation Stories
In episode 254 of the Simple Flying podcast, your hosts, Tom and Channing, discuss,Lufthansa Allegris at FrankfurtAmerican Airlines Fire Lawsuit2025's Best April FoolsNewark on course to top 2024 gun recordEmirates' new shortest A380 flight
Apr 03, 202530:59

#253: Boeing Reversing Guilty Plea, London Heathrow Meltdown
In episode 253 of the Simple Flying podcast, your hosts, Tom and Channing, discuss,Boeing reversing guilty 737 MAX pleaLondon Heathrow Airport closes for a dayA United Airbus A319 having troubleRyanair launches Prime frequent flyer programAmerican's 1st A321XLR has been spotted
Mar 28, 202531:12

#252: American Overhauls Admirals Club Food, Buy Part Of Iron Maiden's Boeing 747
In episode 252 of the Simple Flying podcasts your hosts Channing and Tom discuss,Who might lead the FAAEd Force One AviationtagsDelta's Dublin aircraft changesAir France-KLM interest in Air EuropaAmerican Airlines overhauls Admirals Club food
Mar 24, 202529:48

#251: Bags Fly Free No More, Korean Air Rebranding
In episode 251 of the Simple Flying podcast, your host Channing and guest co-host Jennifer discuss:Southwest Airlines ditching free checked bagsNTSB calls to close helicopter route near DCAKorean Air's new livery & rebrandingThe smallest commercial aircraft at LAXFamily sues Delta & Japan Airlines after collision in Seattle
Mar 14, 202532:38

#250: Alaska Airlines Considers Starlink, Canada's 2nd Airbus A380
In episode 250 of the Simple Flying podcast, your hosts Tom and Channing discuss:Southwest Airlines closing 2 crew basesAlaska Airlines considers StarlinkFrontier Airlines adds new flights to SnohomishCanada's 2nd A380 operatorAllegiant Air cuts routes & closes LAX crew base
Mar 07, 202529:02

#249: Southwest Airlines Near Miss, Atlas Air & DHL Part Ways
In episode 249 of the Simple Flying podcast, your hosts Tom and Channing discuss, Qatar boosts A380 flights to Bangkok Southwest Airlines near miss Atlas Air & DHL Express Part Ways FAA Certifies Pratt & Whitney’s GTF Advantage Engine easyJet returns to Frankfurt after 5 years
Mar 03, 202528:12

#248: Delta CRJ900 Crash, British Airways Buys Boeing MRO Unit
In episode 248 of the Simple Flying podcast your hosts, Tom and Channing, discuss, Delta CRJ900 crash in Toronto British Airways buy's Boeing's Gatwick MRO unit Alaska Airlines Boeing delivery delays Lufthansa offers check-in at home Grenade found under San Diego runway
Feb 21, 202528:32

#247: Boeing's Great January Deliveries, Southwest Airlines New Routes
In episode 247 of the Simple Flying podcast, your hosts Channing and Tom discuss, Boeing posts highest January deliveries since 2019 Southwest Airlines launches new routes Iberia mirrors BA loyalty changes JetBlue turns 25 KLM Boeing 787 flying the Belgian Queen suffers cracked windshield
Feb 14, 202527:06

#246: JetBlue Ends Popular Route, London City Airport Seeks A320neos
In episode 246 of the Simple Flying podcast, your hosts Tom and Channing discuss,JetBlue ends a popular routeLondon City seeks A320neo approvalAllegiant ended 2024 with unexpected Boeing 737 MAXsITA ditches SkyTeam for Star AllianceAn interesting Alaska Airlines route
Feb 07, 202529:36

#245: American Airlines Crash, 1st Boeing 777X Customer & 3 More Aviation Stories
In episode 245 of the Simple Flying podcast, your hosts Tom and Channing discuss,
American Airlines CRJ700 crash
United Airlines has 1,000 planes
Who will get the 1st Boeing 777X?
Boom's XB-1 flies supersonic
Lufthansa takes a stake in airBaltic
Recorded: January 30th
Feb 03, 202528:03

244: Southwest Airlines Pilot Cuts, Emirates' Odd 2 Class A380s & 3 More Aviation Stories
In episode 244 of the Simple Flying Podcast your hosts, Tom and Channing, return for a new year to discuss,
Southwest Airlines ATL & DEN pilot reduction
Emirates 2 Class Emirates Airbus A380
Horizon Air flight attendant federal mediation
Flying Emirates’ New Airbus A350
How many firearms did the TSA find in 2024?
Jan 23, 202526:28

#243: Looking Back On 2024's Top Stories
In this special episode of the Simple Flying podcast, your hosts, Tom and Channing take a look back through 2024, discussing the top stories from each month based on what our readers were reading the most.
Dec 27, 202431:01

#242: Frontier Cuts 40+ Routes, FAA Certifies P&W A321XLR Engine
In episode 242 of the Simple Flying Podcast, your hosts, Tom and Channing, discuss,
Frontier Airlines suspends 40+ routes
Turkish Airlines commits to JFK Terminal One
Delta Air Lines restarts daily Rio-JFK flights
The FAA certifies the Airbus A321XLR with P&W engines
QantasLink takes 1st ex-WestJet Dash 8 Q400
Dec 23, 202420:39

#241: AA Cuts 787 Flight Attendants, Grenade Found In Laguardia Baggage
In this episode of the Simple Flying podcast, your hosts Channing and Tom, discuss,
Strikes at Finnair
Hawaiian Airlines adds Seattle-Tokyo
Boeing restarts 737 production
American Airlines cuts 787 minimum flight attendants
Grenade found in LaGuardia baggage
Dec 13, 202422:00

#240: Inside Emirates' New A350, Delta Retires 28 Year Old Boeing 757s
In episode 240 of the Simple Flying Podcast, your hosts Channing and Tom discuss,
Hawaiian Airlines' San Francisco base
Touring Emirates' new Airbus A350
Delta retires 28-year-old Boeing 757s
Comparing Emirates' A350 to its Boeing 777s and Airbus A380s
United hires one of its youngest captains yet
Dec 11, 202429:45

#239: Spirit Bankruptcy, TAP Hamsters Chaos, & 3 More Aviation Stories
In episode 239 of the Simple Flying podcast, your hosts Tom and Channing discuss,
Hawaiian Airlines cuts routes
Spirit Airlines enters Chapter 11
Delta's new Burger partnership
Will Airbus meet its delivery target?
Hamsters cause chaos for TAP
Nov 22, 202428:51

#237: Air Canada Boeing 767s, Air Force One Color Scheme
This episode was recorded on November 7th. However, due to a technical issue, it did not upload correctly to our podcast platform.
In episode 237 of the Simple Flying podcast, Tom and Channing discuss,
Iberia's 1st Airbus A321XLR flight
Air Canada brings 767s out of retirement
Air Force One's color scheme
Racoon causes chaos in LaGuardia
The Boeing strike is over
Nov 20, 202430:02

#238: Southwest Separation Packages, 1st COMAC C929 Customer
In this slightly shorter episode, Tom and Channing discuss,
Southwest Airlines' voluntary separation packages
The 1st COMAC C929 customer
Denver Airport's virtual golf lounge
Spirit Airlines' bankruptcy risk
Nov 15, 202421:55

#236: 1st Airbus A321XLR Delivery, JetBlue Sued Over Ice Cream & 3 More Aviation Stories
In episode 236 of the Simple Flying podcast your hosts Tom and Channing discuss,Delta Air Lines close calls1st Airbus A321XLR deliveredAmerican Airlines’ new longest routeRiyadh Air orders 60 Airbus narrowbodiesJetBlue sued over an ice cream sandwich
Nov 01, 202434:04

#235: Qatar Airways Launches Starlink, American Airlines Cargo Door Incident & 3 More Stories
In episode 235 of the Simple Flying podcast, Tom is joined by new co-host Channing Reid to discuss,
Qatar Airways launches Starlink
American Airlines cargo door incident
Tom visits Turkish Airlines
A New Zealand Airport's new three-minute hug rule
Lufthansa's new first class check-in delay
Oct 25, 202436:55

#234: Southwest Overhaul, Jo's Last Episode & 3 More Aviation Stories
In episode 234 of the Simple Flying podcast, Jo joins Tom for the last time to discuss,
Southwest Airlines' overhaul
Jo's time at Simple Flying
Delta's transatlantic plans
Etihad's Airbus A380 to Paris
Israel/Lebanon flight cancelations
Tom will be back soon (with much better audio than this week) with a new co-host!
Oct 01, 202427:55

#233: Simple Flying Meets Christina Cassotis, CEO Pittsburgh Airport
Christina Cassotis is CEO of Allegheny County Airport Authority and oversees developments at Pittsburgh International Airport. Like the famous steel city’s own business renaissance, the airport is witnessing record demand growth after moving from a hub operation to supporting what has become a booming O&D market.
In this episode, Lead Journalist Jonathan Hendry sits down with Christina to discuss PIT's expansion plans, perks for travelers and hopes for the future. Join us for an inside look at how Pittsburg is shaking things up over the coming years.
Sep 20, 202417:10

#232: 1st Low Cost A321XLR Route, CRJ900 Tail Ripped Off & 3 More Aviation Stories
In episode 232 of the Simple Flying podcast Tom Boon is joined by Joanna Bailey to discuss,
Wizz Air A321XLR Routes
Lithium-ion batteries risk
CRJ-900 tail ripped off
British Airways' weekend meltdown
Ural Airbus A320 scrapped
Sep 13, 202426:25

#231: Cathay's A350 Issues, SWISS First Class Too Heavy, & 3 More Aviation Stories
In episode 231 of the Simple Flying podcast, Tom and Jo discuss,
Cathay Pacific's Airbus A350 issues
SAS leaves Star Alliance for SkyTeam
SWISS' new first class is too heavy
Fishy things at Alaska Airlines
Heathrow to welcome to Beluga XL
Sep 06, 202423:47

#230: New Aussie LCC, 2 Drink Limit At Airports & More Aviation News
Join Jo and Tom for some of the week's most interesting aviation news! In discussion today, we have:
Florida Man tries to check in as luggage
Koala Airlines - another airline is trying its luck at low-cost in Australia
Flair sells flights for $1
Michael O’Leary wants a two drink limit at airports
Lufthansa finds another Sharkskin customer
Aug 30, 202426:45

#229: Canada JetLines Closes, Boeing Latest & 3 More Aviation Stories
In episode 229 of the Simple Flying podcast, Tom is joined by Marisa to discuss,
Canada JetLines closes
Boeing's latest news
Finnair's lounge milestone
Celebrity airport and airline fails
Tom's lost baggage experience
Aug 23, 202425:17

#228: Voepass ATR-72 Crash, New Airline Gets An Old A310 & More Aviaton News Stories
Join Jo and Tom to discuss the week's top stories from the world of aviation. On the agenda this week are:
Voepass ATR-72 crashes in Brazil
Frontier drops the A321XLR
Why airlines are cutting China flights
El Al makes an order for the Boeing 737 MAX
A new airline takes an old A310 into its fleet
Thanks for joining us, please do let us know what you thought of the episode in the comments!
Aug 19, 202423:59

#227: Boeing Vs Airbus At Farnborough, Qatar CEO Interview & Much More
Today, managing editor Joanna Bailey is joined by Editorial Lead Sumit Singh to take an analytical look at the recent Farnborough Airshow.
Jo & Sumit discuss:
Boeing Vs Airbus: Who won FIA?
Turkish Airlines new business class
The importance of the USA to Turkish & Air India
Qatar Airways holds onto A380s, drops hints about southern Africa airline investment
What we know so far about the Airbus future narrowbody
Boom Supersonic reinvents the cockpit for Overture
Aug 13, 202438:59

#226: Farnborough Airshow Recap
Simple Flying's Tom Boon is joined Pete Syme of Business Insider and Rhys Jones of Head for Points for a look back at the 2024 Farnborough Airshow.
Aug 02, 202426:31

#225: Learnings From American Airlines Battery Fire, Unserved Africa Routes & 3 More Aviation News Stories
This week Jo welcomes Simple Flying's lead Africa journalist, Tatenda Karuwa, to the podcast. Together, we discuss some of the weeks' hottest topics, including:
What we learned from the American Airlines battery fire
Some of the top unserved Africa routes
Korean Air 777X potential order at Farnborough
SAF and sustainability in Africa - how can it work?
Pan Am returns for an exclusive experience
Jul 26, 202425:08

#224: easyJet Celebrates Football, Hurricane Beryl Upsets Flights & 3 More Aviation Stories
In episode 224 of the Simple Flying Podcast, your hosts Jo and Tom discuss,
easyJet's football celebration
Hurricane Beryl's impact
New Pacific loses it's CEO
Boeing is in spending mode
Airbus vs Boeing in H1
Jul 12, 202424:04

Bonus: Farnborough Airshow CEO Interview
The Farnborough International Airshow is now in touching distance. This year's show will be the first sold-out show in decades. In this bonus episode of the Simple Flying podcast, Content Manager Tom Boon catches up with Gareth Rogers, CEO of the Airshow, for a sneak peek at what's in store!
Jul 05, 202423:08

#223: Southwest Airlines Incidents, Embraer Insight & 3 More Aviation Stories
In episode 223 of the Simple Flying podcast, your hosts Jo and Tom discuss,
Recent Southwest Airlines incidents
Everything commercial at Embraer
Recent notable government flights
Flying on the Embraer KC-390
1st Airbus A321XLR flights on sale
Jun 28, 202429:40

#222: IATA Update, 1st Farnborough Aircraft Revealed & 3 More Aviation Stories
In episode 222 (to Toulouse) of the Simple Flying podcast, regular hosts Jo and Tom are joined by Editorial Lead Sumit Singh to discuss,
What happened at the IATA AGM
Cathay Pacific Airbus A330 news
1st Farnborough Airshow aircraft revealed
Airlines are still being fined for COVID cancelations
Lufthansa's new status match offer
Jun 12, 202428:02

#221: AA Ditches Transcon Widebodies, Tom Visits Air Astana Catering
In episode 221 of the Simple Flying podcast, your hosts Jo and Tom discuss,
Air India delays
3rd Airbus A350 for the Luftwaffe
American Airlines ditches transcon widebodies
Tom visits Air Astana catering
Iran reverse engineers engine fanblades
Jun 07, 202430:22

#220: Singapore Incident Update, Aircraft Interiors Expo, & 3 More Aviation Stories
In episode 220 of the Simple Flying podcast, your hosts Jo and Tom discuss: Initial Singapore Airlines incident report released, Tom visits AIX in Hamburg, American Airlines has a shake up, the Crystal Cabin Award winners, the worlds best airlines.
May 31, 202448:43

#219: Singpapore Airlines Turbulence, Qatar's New Gulfstream 700 & 3 More Aviation Stories
In episode 219 of the Simple Flying podcast, your hosts Jo and Tom discuss,
A freak Singapore Airlines turbulence occurance
Qatar Airways' new Gulfstream G700s
2 AtlasJet fugitives arrested 17 years after crash
Onboard Qatar Airways' Airbus A380
Saudia orders 105 more Airbus A320neos
May 24, 202425:34

#218: United's New Safety Video, Russian MC-21 Update & 3 More Aviation Stories
In episode 218 of the Simple Flying podcast, your hosts Jo and Tom discuss,
New United Airlines safety video
Russia's MC-21 will be late & overweight
Boeing delivery delay warnings
NASA's DC-8 retires
Emirates' London Heathrow SAF
May 17, 202422:10

#217: Emirates' 1st A350 Routes, Global's A380 Arrives In The UK & 3 More Aviation Stories
In episode 217 of the Simple Flying podcast, your hosts Jo and Tom discuss,
North America's top airlines for customer satisfaction
Emirates' 1st Airbus A350 routes
Global Airlines' A380 arrives in Scotland
Air Canada on the Airbus A321XLR
Why the A380 is a great flying testbed
May 10, 202430:27

#216: Lufthansa's New Allegris Cabin, Bonza Collapses & 3 More Aviation Stories
In episode 216 of the Simple Flying podcast, your hosts Jo and Tom discuss,
Lufthansa's new Allegris cabin
Australia's Bonza collapses
SAS is joining SkyTeam
More orders for the C919
Dubai World Central Airport plans
May 02, 202434:06

#215: Air India Boeing 747 Sale, Ex-Cathay A330 Destroyed By Fire & More Aviation News
Episode 215 of the Simple Flying aviation news podcast is here!
Join Jo and Tom as we discuss some of the biggest and most interesting aviation stories of the week. In this episode, we discuss:
Air India sells its Boeing 747s at last
Ex-Cathay A330 is destroyed by fire
GPS jamming is on the up
Lufthansa's Allegris is here - an update
Boom Supersonic gets permission to exceed Mach 1
Apr 26, 202424:52

#214: Rain Grounds Emirates, Iran Crisis Diversions & 2 More Aviation Stories
In episode 214 of the Simple Flying podcast your host Tom discusses,
Historic rain grounds Emirates
Iran crisis reroutes flights
Lufthansa's new historical exhibition
Royal Jordanian's new loyalty partnership
Apr 19, 202414:03

#213: SAS Defects To SkyTeam, Airline Loyalty Update
In episode 213 of the Simple Flying podcast, regular host Tom Boon is joined by US Lead Jonathan Hendry to talk about SAS's upcoming Star Alliance exit, and what else is new in the aviation loyalty world.
Apr 12, 202416:46

#212: Boeing Delays Impact Airlines, Best Aviation April Fools 2024
In episode 212 of the Simple Flying podcast, your hosts Jo and Tom discuss,
A brand new JetBlue Airbus diversion
Boeing delivery delays impact airlines
USPS swaps to UPS
Asian Airline Confidence Up
The best Aviation April Fools 2024
Apr 05, 202428:17

#211: Boeing's Leadership Shakeup, Michael O'Leary Interviewed & Breeze Loyalty
For episode 211, the Simple Flying team make the most of being in the same part of the world for once. Doing things a little differently, we launch a roundtable discussion about some of the biggest events in aviation this week.
Featuring Content Manager Tom Boon, Managing Editor Joanna Bailey, USA Lead Jonathan Hendry and Editorial Lead Sumit Singh, we discuss:
* Boeing's big management shake-up
* Breeze launches a loyalty program
* Takeaways from Tom's time with Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary
Mar 29, 202418:06

#210: Qatar Airways First Class Returns, Transatlantic Beluga Crossing
In episode 210 of the Simple Flying podcast, your hosts Jo and Tom discuss,
A transatlantic Beluga crossing
Air Astana's impressive 2023 results
A LATAM Boeing 787 incident update
Qatar Airways reignites first class
New 6 hour Embraer E195-E2 flights
Mar 20, 202426:51

#209: A Bad Week For United, Setting Up Riyadh Air
In episode 209 of the Simple Flying podcast, your hosts Jo and Tom discuss,
6 incidents in one week at United Airlines
How Tony Douglas is setting up Riyadh Air
LATAM's scary Tasman Sea incident
PLAY's plans for the future
You shouldn't throw coins into an engine
Mar 15, 202430:06

#208: Huge American Airlines Order, JetBlue Breaks Up With Spirit Airlines
In episode 208 of the Simple Flying Podcast your hosts Jo and Tom discuss,
The FAA's Boeing audit
JetBlue/Spirit Airlines breakup
American Airlines' huge order
Ex-Antonov CEO faces 15 years in jail
A new search for MH370?
Mar 07, 202429:08

#207: Qatar Reactivates Last A350, Boeing's 90 Day Warning
In episode 207 of the Simple Flying podcast, Jo and Tom discuss,
Qatar reactivates its last A350
Boeing's 90-day warning
Flying Blue's status match offer
End of the Boeing 767F
Flying Emirates' A380 in business
Mar 01, 202429:25