
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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- 2025 in Review · December 31, 2025 · 24 min
- Building One ALPA Through Strategic Collaboration · December 18, 2025 · 12 min
- Aviation from a Journalist’s Perspective: A Conversation with Elan Head · November 19, 2025 · 21 min
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