Aviation Week's Check 6 Podcast

How will a second Trump administration affect the defense industry and global alliances?  Listen in as the McCain Institute’s executive director Evelyn Farkas joins Aviation Week's Joe Anselmo and Michael Bruno to discuss.

Join industry experts Jens Flottau, a veteran commercial aviation journalist, and Sash Tusa, a financial analyst from Agency Partners, as they dissect Airbus's struggles in the competitive airplane market. They explore production challenges rooted in supply chain disruptions and the ripple effects stemming from Boeing's issues. The duo also discusses leadership changes at Airbus and the impending necessity for modernization in production strategies, highlighting how these factors contribute to the company’s stagnation.

SpaceX’s Starship booster “catch” at the launchpad wowed the space world, but big hurdles remain to launching humans to Mars in 2028. Irene Klotz and Guy Norris join Joe Anselmo to discuss.

Once known as UFOs, sightings of unidentified anomalous phenomena present a thorny issue for the aviation community. Former F/A-18 pilot Ryan Graves who leads Americans for Safe Aerospace joins Aviation Week's Guy Norris and Garrett Reim to discuss the risks UAP pose and shares progress made on destigmatizing reporting among pilots.

It’s been nearly five years since the cutting-edge aircraft first flew, but you won’t fly on one before 2026. Aviation Week’s Guy Norris, Sean Broderick and Dan Williams explain to Joe Anselmo how we got here. Click to find out more about Aviation Week Network's 2025 Commercial Fleet & MRO Forecast Register for Aviation Week's A&D Mergers & Acquistions Conference here

John Schmidt, leader of Accenture's Global Aerospace and Defense Practice, shares insights into the commercial aerospace industry's surprising growth. Despite delivery downturns, industry revenues are expected to rise. The Asia-Pacific market has rebounded dramatically, fueled by customer traffic and investment. MRO services are pivotal in enhancing resilience and operational longevity. Challenges like supply chain disruptions and labor unrest are addressed, but optimism prevails due to advancements in digital transformation that promise to overcome these hurdles.

In this engaging discussion, Michael Bruno, Chief Business Editor at Aviation Week, Jens Flotow, global commercial aviation editor, and Scott Mikus from Melios Research dive deep into the tumultuous Boeing strike. They explore the striking workers' impact on suppliers and production, revealing emerging financial crises. The conversation highlights the pressing need for effective negotiations to stabilize operations, while unpacking the broader implications for the aviation supply chain and investor sentiment in this challenging economic climate.

Listen in to hear Frank Haselbach, president of ISABE and head of propulsion at Airbus, in conversation with Aviation Week's Guy Norris. They discuss various technology pathways for commercial engines that would support the decarbonization of the air transport industry.

Aviation Week's Steve Trimble is just back from a trip to Israel, including its northern border. Listen to his observations from the frontline and what the fighting tells us about the future of warfare in this conversation with Robert Wall, Aviation Week Executive Editor for Defense and Space. Read some of Steve's coverage here: Israel’s Next Step Uncertain As Conflict Widens The Debrief: Israeli Defense Industry Coping With Conflict Pressures So Far Hezbollah Reveals New Weapon In Latest Barrage On Israel

CFM International CEO Gael Meheust joins the podcast to dive into the remarkable story behind the CFM56: Hear how teams on opposite sides of the Atlantic persevered against the odds to propel the industry into a new age. Visit CFM International's website to explore a timeline of the company's extraordinary history Check 6 Revisits delves into Aviation Week's more than 100-year archive. Subscribers can explore our archive here and read key Aviation Week articles relating to this podcast here:  GE Will Supply France With F101 Engine Core Technology (June 11, 1973) CFM-56 Aimed at Current Transports (July 22, 1974) United Picks CFM56 for DC-8-60s (April 9, 1979) USAir Negotiating 737-300 Purchase (March 9, 1981) Improved CFM56 Will Power A320 (November 12, 1984)