Headwinds and Tailwinds: The North American Airline Industry in 2025

Headwinds and Tailwinds: The North American Airline Industry in 2025

From Air Line Pilot Podcast by Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l

October 22, 2025 · 12 min · Season 1 · Episode 21

About this episode

The episode discusses the state of the North American airline industry in 2025, highlighting both optimism and challenges faced by airlines.

As 2025 unfolded, the airline industry's initial optimism was met with unexpected challenges. ALPA president Capt. Jason Ambrosi sat down with Aviation Economist Patrick Cropper from ALPA’s Economic and Financial Analysis Department to discuss the factors that were fueling early confidence and the hurdles airlines now face. From high profits at Delta and United to the struggles of ultra-low-cost carriers like Spirit, this episode explores the state of the aviation industry and what it means for ALPA pilots.

People in this episode

Host: Capt. Jason Ambrosi

Guest: Patrick Cropper

Topics covered

  • North American airline industry
  • aviation economics
  • airline challenges
  • profitability
  • ultra-low-cost carriers
  • ALPA pilots

Keywords

  • airline industry
  • aviation economist
  • ALPA
  • Delta
  • United
  • Spirit
  • profit
  • challenges
  • 2025

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: ALPA, Delta, United, Spirit

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