Airline Weekly Lounge
The editors of Airline Weekly discuss the most interesting developments within the commercial airline industry. In keeping with Airline Weekly’s style, conversation generally centers on one question: How do you make money in this industry?
Episodes
February 19, 2026 • 28 mins
Delta and United are dominating airline profits while American falls behind, and Frontier struggles to recover.
Jay Shabat and Meghna Maharishi break down airline earnings, American’s leadership pressure, and Frontier’s turnaround strategy.
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February 12, 2026 • 38 mins
In part one of this week's show, Gordon and Jay crunch the latest financials from Icelandair and discuss how it plans to become sustainably profitable. In part two, the conversation turns to global airports, as we reveal the major hubs with the biggest shifts in capacity for Q2.
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February 5, 2026 • 34 mins
In this week's show, Gordon and Jay discuss the latest results from Japan's two mega-airline groups. With inbound visitor numbers soaring, but domestic air travel down, we analyze the key financial and operational metrics separating ANA from JAL.
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January 29, 2026 • 36 mins
In part one of this week's show, Gordon and Jay discuss the latest quarterly earnings from American Airlines and JetBlue. In part two, the discussion turns to Ryanair, with a deep dive into its financials and 2026 strategy.
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January 26, 2026 • 2 mins
We’re sharing a preview of a new podcast from Skift called Skift Take Sessions.
Skift Take Sessions is a weekly, journalist-led podcast built from the most important conversations shaping the global travel industry. Each episode features candid interviews with CEOs and senior leaders across airlines, hotels, and travel platforms, recorded live at Skift events and expanded with context around why the conversation matters now and wh...
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January 22, 2026 • 21 mins
It is earnings season, and this week on the Airline Weekly Lounge, Jay Shabat and Meghna Maharishi break down Q4 2025 results from United and Delta, recorded on Wednesday, January 21, 2026.
They compare operating margins, unpack how fuel price differences shaped the quarter, and dig into what United’s call revealed about demand, costs, and competitive pressure points. Key themes include the growing gap between premium and main cab...
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January 12, 2026 • 34 mins
In this special edition of the Airline Weekly Lounge, Gordon is joined by Jay and Meghna to discuss Allegiant's plan to acquire Sun Country Airlines for $1.5 Billion. Fresh off the phone with Allegiant CEO, Greg Anderson, Meghna offers first-hand executive insights, while Jay delves into the data to discover the impact of the proposed tie-up.
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J...
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January 8, 2026 • 42 mins
Ethiopian Airlines is one of African aviation's outstanding success stories. We explore how the carrier grew profitably, built global reach, and what its strategy means for the future of the sector. In part two, Gordon and Jay set the scene for Q4 earnings season, with a focus on U.S. airlines.
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January 1, 2026 • 25 mins
Recorded on-stage at our recent Skift Aviation Forum, Gordon sits down with aviation legend David Neeleman. In this fast-paced discussion, few topics are left on the table, as we hear Neeleman's views on everything from the health of the U.S. airline industry to sustainable aviation fuels.
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December 25, 2025 • 24 mins
Recorded on-stage at our recent Skift Aviation Forum, Gordon is in conversation with JetBlue CEO, Joanna Geraghty. We hear why the deck is stacked against smaller carriers in the U.S., and why she thinks 2026 will be a better year for the New York-based airline.
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December 18, 2025 • 41 mins
As Breeze Airways enters its fifth year of flying, Gordon and Jay discuss the challenges and opportunities for the David Neeleman-backed U.S. carrier. In part two, our attention turns to 2026, with a round-up of key industry topics to watch.
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December 11, 2025 • 29 mins
Gordon sits down with Chris McLaughlin, Chief Executive Officer of Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, for a special episode of the Airline Weekly Lounge. In this wide-ranging conversation, the pair discusses everything from route development and new terminals to AI and operational resilience.
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December 4, 2025 • 22 mins
Gordon and Jay reveal the major U.S. airports that are due to grow at an impressive rate in the coming quarter. From Texas to Tennessee, we break down the numbers and examine the factors driving rapid growth.
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November 27, 2025 • 35 mins
In part one, Gordon shares an insider perspective on a major new Skift feature examining the business case for Qantas' 'Project Sunrise' ultra long-haul flights. In part two, attention swings to European carriers as Jay rounds up the most profitable airlines for the all-important Q3 peak season.
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November 20, 2025 • 63 mins
In this special episode, we bring you the full recording from our recent LinkedIn Live webinar (Click This Link For Video Version).
Titled ‘Airlines in 2026: Flying into Trouble?’, Gordon is joined by Jay and Meghna to set the scene for the year ahead, with all of the challenges and opportunities that it may bring.
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November 13, 2025 • 38 mins
In part one, Gordon and Jay reflect on the latest financial insights from Emirates, and examine the challenges that could lie ahead for the Dubai-based giant. In part two, the conversation turns to a disappointing set of Q3 results from KLM.
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November 6, 2025 • 29 mins
In part one, Gordon and Jay break down Ryanair’s latest earnings and uncover what keeps Europe’s biggest low-cost airline flying high. In part two, they share key takeaways from the CEOs of Etihad and Oman Air at the Skift Global Forum East — including how Gulf carriers see the next phase of global travel growth.
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October 30, 2025 • 24 mins
In part one of this week's show, Jay and Meghna discuss the latest developments regarding the U.S. government shutdown and its impact on air travel. In part two, their attention turns to JetBlue and its latest earnings report.
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October 23, 2025 • 34 mins
In part one of this week's show, Gordon and Jay examine some of the factors creating headwinds for United in the U.S domestic market. In part two, we turn our attention to Europe and discuss a rare joint interview with the CEOs of Air France-KLM and Lufthansa Group.
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October 16, 2025 • 24 mins
In part one of this week's show, we discuss a changing of the guard at Virgin Atlantic, as CEO Shai Weiss prepares to step down after seven years. In part two, we contextualize a strong set of Q3 figures from Delta.
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