FlightGlobal Focus

Airline executives arrived at this year's AGM with a growing list of problems that transcend borders: higher fuel costs tied to Middle East instability, severe engine shortages, aircraft delivery delays and mounting questions about the viability of sustainable aviation fuel.

With Canada having shortlisted Saab's GlobalEye and the US administration seemingly back on board the Boeing E-7 Wedgetail programme, we assess the latest developments in the airborne early warning sector.How might additional nations – and the NATO alliance – look to bolster their surveillance capabilities, and could China gain an information advantage as it develops its own advanced platforms?FlightGlobal's European defence editor hosts a discussion looking at the global state of play for airborne early warning, with Americas defence reporter Ryan Finnerty and Asia defence editor Greg Waldron.

From Rolls-Royce’s hydrogen tests to Russian powerplant developments and GE Aerospace’s push to address Leap engine durability shortcomings, we break down the conventional and unconventional tech shaping aviation propulsion.

As airline executives prepare to gather in Rio for IATA’s Annual General Meeting, soaring fuel prices, worries of fuel shortages and the collapse of Spirit Airlines have intensified concerns about the industry’s position. Carriers globally are cutting capacity and hiking fares, while US discounters are navigating particularly pressured business models.

After years of noise about wanting to retire the famous Fairchild Republic A-10 ground attack fighter, the US Air Force now says it has graduated the last class of new pilots assigned to fly the "Warthog".But just weeks later, the Pentagon announced that the A-10's. retirement is being pushed back to at least 2030. It's just the latest example of the titanium-enclosed jet beating the odds on bureaucratic survival.Has the end really come for the Warthog or can the plane famous for its battlefield survivability once again stave off the end from Washington?Americas defence reporter Ryan Finnerty speaks with the commander of the 357th Fighter Squadron that trains new A-10 pilots and retired air force Colonel Kim "KC" Campbell, whose combat service in the Warthog over Iraq has made her arguably the most famous A-10 pilot.Show Notes:Kim Campbell profile in Flight International, 2023:https://www.flightglobal.com/fixed-wing/2023/06/rough-air-over-baghdad-a-10-pilot-kim-campbell-flies-into-aviation-history/US Air Force begins first A-10 retirements:https://www.flightglobal.com/fixed-wing/2023/04/usaf-begins-long-sought-a-10-retirements/The A-10 returns to combat in Iran:https://www.flightglobal.com/fixed-wing/2026/03/a-10-returns-to-combat-hunting-iranian-vessels-in-strait-of-hormuz/A-10 "Sandy" mission over Iran:https://www.flightglobal.com/archive/2026/04/iran-rescue-mission-featured-155-aircraft-refuelling-over-enemy-territory-and-one-lost-a-10/The armed crop duster that could replace the A-10:https://www.flightglobal.com/fixed-wing/2025/02/us-air-force-dubs-new-oa-1k-armed-crop-duster-skyraider-ii-ahead-of-first-delivery/

The deadly 22 March collision involving an Air Canada Express CRJ900 exposed holes in overlapping aviation safety networks. Meanwhile, the entire US aerospace industry is coming to terms with a pending requirement to replace all altimeters on all aircraft to prevent interference from new 5G cellular networks, a multi-billion-dollar effort.

It is a month since the Iran conflict started, and a more far-reaching impact is beginning to take root, centred around the volatility of fuel prices. With fuel being the single largest expense for any airline, any spike in pricing will ultimately impact profitability. FlightGlobal’s head of airlines, Lewis Harper, joins Asia-Pacific airlines editor Alfred Chua to discuss what operators are doing to tackle the issue, and what the longer-term implications are.

It’s been more than two weeks since US President Donald Trump launched military action against Iran.Dubbed Operation Epic Fury, the air and naval campaign has featured more than 200 fighter aircraft, all three of the US Air Force’s bomber types, and two aircraft carrier strike groups, plus the entire Israeli air force.Despite facing that armada, Iran remains defiant, effectively halting ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and disrupting vital energy flows. The inability of air power to achieve political and strategic goals appears to have caught the Trump Administration by surprise, despite numerous examples from history that have shown the limitations of air campaigns.FlightGlobal's managing defence editor Greg Waldron joins Americas defence reporter Ryan Finnerty to discuss the latest developments in the war and what we may see next.

When Airbus and Boeing commit to new single-aisle designs to replace their ubiquitous narrowbodies, the most anticipated decision will be the choice of propulsion.Engine manufacturers Pratt & Whitney and CFM International are focusing on separate strategies, pitching the conventional and conservative ducted fan against the radical open rotor.Each concept has its supporters and detractors. Each holds appeal and carries risk.FlightGlobal's Americas aerospace editor Jon Hemmerdinger joins air transport editor David Kaminski-Morrow to discuss a power struggle which will potentially reshape the engine sector and the broader aerospace industry.

FlightGlobal’s airlines team take a look at the impact a rapidlyageing population in Japan is having on carriers such as ANA and JapanAirlines.Touching on topics such as networks and fleets, they also considerhow trends differ – sometimes in favour of airline growth – in other markets.

With 2026 now in full-swing, FlightGlobal's defence editorial team is crisscrossing the globe to report from some the world's most important military trade shows and exhibitions, where international deals are made and leading manufacturers debut their latest hardware.In February we'll be attending the biannual Singapore airshow and the World Defense Show in Saudi Arabia, at a time when regional powers in the Indo-Pacific and Middle East are all expanding their defence capabilities. Flight's Asia defence editor Greg Waldron gives a preview of what to expect in Singapore, and some helpful tips for navigating southeast Asia's premier military conference.Meanwhile, our Europe defence editor Craig Hoyle shares his experiences from Saudi Arabia, as the Kingdom hopes to continue expanding the World Defense Show in Riyadh.

IATA forecasts that the global airline industry will achieve its highest-ever profits in 2026. But risks to the outlook remain significant, not least amid troubling geopolitical developments around the world.In this episode, FlightGlobal’s Alfred Chua and Lewis Harper discuss the outlook for airlines over the next 12 months.

Welcome to FlightGlobal Focus, your essential podcast for trusted aviation insight. We publish new episodes twice weekly: join us on Friday for a concise news briefing and on Monday for in-depth analysis covering airlines, defence or aerospace. Stay informed, stay ahead and get expert coverage from the team at FlightGlobal. Pioneering aviation insight.A note from Amber Elias: This is my last episode of FlightGlobal Focus. It has been a pleasure creating this podcast series and hosting it in 2025.In this episode, Amber Elias is joined by Lewis Harper, Alfred Chua and Howard Hardee.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Listeners can get a discount for a new subscription to Airline Business with the code ABPODCAST and to FlightGlobal with the code FGPODCAST (terms and conditions apply).If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please email ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast@flightglobal.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠For sponsorship and commercial opportunities, please email ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast@flightglobal.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ First Flight is a production of FlightGlobal, an award-winning aviation media company, and is executive produced by Amber Elias. Audio editing by Lucy Johnson.