AvTalk - Aviation Podcast

AvTalk Episode 360: War shuts down Middle East airspace

On this week’s episode of AvTalk, we discuss the US-Israeli attack on Iran and Iranian response with an eye on the effects on commercial aviation. Airspace closures, flight cancellations, reroutes, diversions, and how airlines are coping with the rapid changes. Also on this week’s episode, another emergency evacuation with passengers carrying their baggage, the FAA steps in between United and American in Chicago, investigators issue their final report on LATAM’s 2024 inflight upset, and Lufthansa’s 100th anniversary livery 747 comes home to Frankfurt. HELPFUL LINKS FOR THIS WEEK’S EPISODE * Middle East airspace closures live blog [https://www.flightradar24.com/blog/live/israel-launches-pre-emptive-strikes-on-iran-airspace-closures-going-into-place/] * GPS jamming map [https://www.flightradar24.com/blog/inside-flightradar24/gps-jamming-map/] * Brett Snyder’s article on United vs American in Chicago [https://crankyflier.com/2026/03/03/the-feds-step-in-to-prevent-impending-chicago-gridlock-at-ohare/] * Lufthansa’s 100th anniversary 747 arrives in Frankfurt [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5znWKsZlORA] THANK YOU FOR LISTENING! Whether this is your first episode of AvTalk or you’ve listened to every single episode, we appreciate you spending your time with us. If you’d like to help other people find AvTalk, please consider leaving a rating and review on the the platform of your choice. Happy tracking and thanks for listening! ---------------------------------------- Please click here for a transcript of this episode [https://www.flightradar24.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/AvTalk_360_Transcript.pdf]. The post AvTalk Episode 360: War shuts down Middle East airspace [https://www.flightradar24.com/blog/avtalk-podcast/avtalk-360/] appeared first on Flightradar24 Blog [https://www.flightradar24.com/blog].

AvTalk Episode 359: Reading them the ROTOR Act

On this week’s episode of AvTalk, after passing unanimously in the Senate, the US House of Representatives votes down the aviation safety-focused ROTOR Act, which was championed by the NTSB, pilots’ unions, and families of the victims of last year’s mid-air collision in Washington DC. The House will now turn to an alternate bill, the ALERT Act. We break down the differences between the bills and reaction to Tuesday’s vote. Elsewhere, Spirit Airlines says it has a plan to emerge from bankruptcy, cartel violence paralyzes a pair of Mexican airports early in the week, a big news from Really Cool Airlines (yes, that is their actual name). HELPFUL LINKS FOR THIS WEEK’S EPISODE * Flights return to New York and Boston after the snow [https://www.instagram.com/reel/DVJZCYUghW5/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==] * NTSB fact sheet on differences between the ROTOR Act and the ALERT Act [https://www.ntsb.gov/news/press-releases/Documents/NTSB%20Analysis%20of%20ALERT%20Act.pdf] * Spirit’s plan to exit bankruptcy [https://ir.spirit.com/news/news-details/2026/Spirit-Airlines-Reaches-Agreement-in-Principle-on-Key-Terms-of-Restructuring-Support-Agreement-with-Its-Secured-Creditors/default.aspx] * Lufthansa’s 100th anniversary livery A380 [https://www.flightradar24.com/blog/flight-tracking-news/special-aircraft-tracking/lufthansa-100th-anniversary-fleet/] * Aireon data now available on Flightradar24 [https://www.flightradar24.com/blog/inside-flightradar24/flightradar24-expands-global-coverage-with-aireon-space-based-ads-b-data/] THANK YOU FOR LISTENING! Whether this is your first episode of AvTalk or you’ve listened to every single episode, we appreciate you spending your time with us. If you’d like to help other people find AvTalk, please consider leaving a rating and review on the the platform of your choice. Happy tracking and thanks for listening! ---------------------------------------- Click here for a transcript of this week’s episode. [https://www.flightradar24.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/AvTalk_359_Transcript.pdf] The post AvTalk Episode 359: Reading them the ROTOR Act [https://www.flightradar24.com/blog/avtalk-podcast/avtalk-359/] appeared first on Flightradar24 Blog [https://www.flightradar24.com/blog].

AvTalk Episode 358: Not how you want the day to go

Plenty to discuss on this week’s episode of AvTalk: * More clarity on what exactly led to the closure of airspace above El Paso last week [https://www.flightradar24.com/blog/live/faa-closes-el-paso-airspace-for-10-days/] * A United Airlines flight from Lagos experiences an extraordinary series of events (UA613 leg 1 [https://www.flightradar24.com/data/aircraft/n27903#3e5db21b] | UA613 leg 2 [https://www.flightradar24.com/data/aircraft/n27903#3e5eaf15]) * ANA operates a 14 hour flight from Tokyo to Tokyo [https://www.flightradar24.com/data/flights/nh223#3e5e2c90] * An Arik Air 737 experiences an uncontained engine failure [https://www.flightradar24.com/data/aircraft/5n-mjf#3e48a5a5] * A LATAM 777 rejects take off beyond V1 [https://www.flightradar24.com/data/aircraft/pt-muh#3e5a2751] * The NTSB releases its final report on the DCA mid-air collision [https://www.flightradar24.com/blog/flight-tracking-news/major-incident/psa-airlines-crj-700-collides-with-us-military-helicopter-in-washington-dc/] * Brussels Airlines unveils new Tintin livery [https://www.flightradar24.com/blog/flight-tracking-news/just-for-fun/brussels-airlines-new-tintin-aircraft/] THANK YOU FOR LISTENING! Whether this is your first episode of AvTalk or you’ve listened to every single episode, we appreciate you spending your time with us. If you’d like to help other people find AvTalk, please consider leaving a rating and review on the the platform of your choice. Happy tracking and thanks for listening!   The post AvTalk Episode 358: Not how you want the day to go [https://www.flightradar24.com/blog/avtalk-podcast/avtalk-358/] appeared first on Flightradar24 Blog [https://www.flightradar24.com/blog].

AvTalk Episode 357: Frickin’ drones with frickin’ laser beams

On this week’s episode of AvTalk, Ian is joined by Ned Russell in the studio as Jason and Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren report from their outpost in the Caribbean. We try to understand what happened in El Paso on Wednesday morning and offer some thoughts on the FAA administrator’s actions to close airspace around the city. Cuba says it is out of jet fuel. This has led to flight cancellations by some airlines, but a few seem to still be able to top up before returning home. Lufthansa pilots strike for better compensation and investigators focus their sights on why a LATAM 777 suffered a tail strike on departure from Milan last year. HELPFUL LINKS FOR THIS WEEK’S EPISODE * A photo of the Britten Norman Trislander [https://www.jetphotos.com/photo/11811531] * The El Paso NOTAM [https://x.com/flightradar24/status/2021515527416320129?s=20] * Havana Airport departure and arrival boards [https://www.flightradar24.com/airport/hav] * SAS taxiway departure [https://www.flightradar24.com/data/flights/sk2590#3e3511e5] * PT-MUG tail strike final report [https://ansv.it/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/PT-MUG-english.pdf] THANK YOU FOR LISTENING! Whether this is your first episode of AvTalk or you’ve listened to every single episode, we appreciate you spending your time with us. If you’d like to help other people find AvTalk, please consider leaving a rating and review on the the platform of your choice. Happy tracking and thanks for listening! The post AvTalk Episode 357: Frickin’ drones with frickin’ laser beams [https://www.flightradar24.com/blog/avtalk-podcast/avtalk-357/] appeared first on Flightradar24 Blog [https://www.flightradar24.com/blog].

AvTalk Episode 356: Finally, a 25 hour rule

On this week’s episode of AvTalk, the FAA finalizes the rule mandating 25-hour recordings on cockpit voice recorders. Confusion ensues after President Trump says he’s decertifying “Canadian made” aircraft. Air India and Indian investigators probe a fuel cutoff switch incident aboard a Boeing 787 in London. And the Singapore Air Show brings some interesting orders. THANK YOU FOR LISTENING! Whether this is your first episode of AvTalk or you’ve listened to every single episode, we appreciate you spending your time with us. If you’d like to help other people find AvTalk, please consider leaving a rating and review on the the platform of your choice. Happy tracking and thanks for listening! ---------------------------------------- Click here for a transcript of this week’s episode [https://www.flightradar24.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/AvTalk_356_Transcript.pdf] The post AvTalk Episode 356: Finally, a 25 hour rule [https://www.flightradar24.com/blog/avtalk-podcast/avtalk-356/] appeared first on Flightradar24 Blog [https://www.flightradar24.com/blog].