The EVA podcast

Executive & VIP Aviation International highlight several key developments in the business aviation sector, focusing on luxury travel, fleet management, and technological advancements. Talon Air recently transitioned into a fully independent entity under CEO James Chitty, showcasing significant growth, high reliability, and in-house maintenance capabilities. Meanwhile, Gogo executives Chris Moore and Michael Skou Christensen emphasize customer trust, predictable financing, and network-neutral connectivity solutions like Gogo Galileo. Additional industry highlights include Duncan Aviation celebrating its seventieth anniversary as a family business, Private Jet Club offering exclusive membership experiences in Bermuda, and Satys partnering with Sherwin-Williams to produce striking aircraft finishes. Finally, operational updates cover FCG OPS expanding its support services into Tashkent Humo International Airport, while editorial commentary stresses the industry's ongoing responsibility to address climate change through sustainable practices.

Chris Notter and Desiree Perez, CEO of EvolveWell, explore how aviation leaders can turn employee feedback into action, support teams under pressure and involve frontline staff in choosing technology that works. Part two focuses on practical ways to build trust and improve day-to-day operations.

Chris Notter welcomes Desiree Perez, CEO of EvolveWell, to explore employee wellbeing in the demanding world of aviation. Reflecting on Aviation Connect in Athens, they discuss resilience, practical training, clear expectations and the role of leaders in helping people speak up—and ensuring their feedback leads to action.

Chris Notter welcomes Andy Clemson, founder of Calibrate, to discuss why people need to remain at the heart of aviation's future. Reflecting on conversations at Aviation Connect in Athens, they explore clear role expectations, confident decision-making and the difference between completing training and being ready to do the job. Andy explains how technology can help identify gaps in capability, guide individual development and give managers more time for meaningful support. The conversation also tackles micromanagement, the pressure on operational leaders and why preparing people for their next role should start well before a vacancy appears.

The Autumn 2026 issue of Airline Routes & Ground Services explores how shifting demands, aircraft shortages, and geopolitical tensions are reshaping global airline networks. It highlights how carriers are rapidly launching new routes, particularly in Europe and Asia, while being equally quick to cancel underperforming services, creating a more selective and fluid market. The magazine also examines major airport developments, including the fourteen-billion-dollar transformation of Miami International Airport and the grand opening of Western Sydney International, which provides a crucial curfew-free alternative to accommodate future growth. The magazine also highlights key operational challenges, from maintaining efficient ground handling and preparing for winter weather to managing the first hour of flight disruptions to help keep passengers informed and satisfied.

The autumn 2026 edition of a trade publication focused on the global air freight industry, with a primary emphasis on the Asia Pacific region. It highlights how artificial intelligence and the surge in semiconductor demand are revitalizing cargo volumes even as e-commerce growth slows due to new European tax regulations. The sources examine how technological advancements and automation are reshaping warehouse operations and the role of General Sales and Service Agents. Key industry leaders also discuss geopolitical volatility, including the impact of a second Trump presidency and conflicts in the Middle East, on logistics networks. Furthermore, the reports detail massive infrastructure investments in new cargo hubs across Taiwan, India, and Australia to keep pace with shifting trade routes. Overall, the documents provide a comprehensive look at the economic, digital, and structural transformations currently defining the future of international air shipping.

The Autumn 2026 issue of Airside International provides a comprehensive look at the latest advancements in airport ground support equipment and infrastructure. A primary focus is placed on winter operations, highlighting how facilities like East Midlands Airport utilize advanced snow sweepers and de-icing technology to maintain safety during severe weather. The text explores the industry's shift toward automation and artificial intelligence, featuring innovations such as autonomous baggage handling robots and AI-powered runway sweepers. Additionally, it addresses critical safety concerns, including runway incursion prevention through the use of wireless headset communication systems. Various industry leaders also discuss sustainable aviation fuels and modern airfield lighting solutions designed to improve operational efficiency. Collectively, these sources illustrate a sector rapidly evolving through technological integration and a commitment to reliable, all-weather performance.

At the time of writing in mid-June, the uncertainties of the on-again, off-again conflict in the Middle East are playing havoc with fuel prices as the industry braces itself for a possible shortage, one that might affect Europe most acutely. But there is more to the problem than reduced supply. In fact, as Avfuel's Director of Trading and Logistics, Muneeb Ahmed explains in his revealing article, the Strait of Hormuz crisis can teach business aviation how fuel markets really work. Fuel prices, he says, are not a simple reflection of supply conditions, but the product of a global system that's constantly processing information, evaluating risk and responding to uncertainty. Opinions vary on whether cancellation of the 2026 edition of the long-running European Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition – EBACE – event was expected. Either way, its demise has not kept your editor away from real aeroplanes, with Textron's splendid Citation Ascend and a spectacular array of Gulfstreams making their way into this edition. The Ascend impressed through its attention to detail, while the Gulfstreams won through on sheer presence. In this summer 2026 EVA, we also look at European airports and FBOs, including Riviera Airport, a recent addition to the Sky Valet Connect network. Finnish FBOs Jetflite and ScandiAvia also feature, alongside the UK's XLR Jet Centres. XLR works in partnership with Saxon Air at the latter's Norwich Airport FBO, supporting the burgeoning company's jet and helicopter fleets. These past few months have seen a rapid expansion in Saxon's helicopter management and charter operations, yet Miles Riches, Head of Rotary Sales at the UK operator, says he is keen to add just a few more aircraft to the fleet. Aircraft management, especially for long-range jets, is also the primary business of Malta's Skyfirst. A powerful industry advocate, Skyfirst CEO and founder Olivier Perdriel is also outspoken on Europe's profligate regulations and taxes, a bundle of red tape that he fears is damaging the industry. KlasJet, meanwhile, as revealed by CEO Justinas Bulka, is patiently working with the FAA as it looks to expand its VIP Boeing 737 operations in the US. Finally, thanks to the splendid folk at Phillips 66, we are thrilled to present the story of Bighorn Airways, an organisation born out of the desire to fly and a love for aviation, according to Director of FBO Services Penny Rader. Based at Sheridan County Airport, Wyoming, the company evolved from a 1940s crop-spraying outfit and today flies wildfire response operations alongside its FBO and maintenance operations. Bighorn encapsulates the complexity, flexibility and variety that characterise business aviation, and we hope you love its story too.

Life is never straightforward for network planners, it seems. First, they had to navigate the ad hoc opening and closing of borders to work out where they could fly during the Covid years. That assumed they could fly there direct, without conflicts restricting market and airspace access, and that they could get hold of an aircraft to put on the route – and enough spare parts to keep it flying. Now, they must factor in whether they can still afford to fly a route as fuel costs, one of the few benign elements of recent years, have surged following the outbreak of the Iran conflict. And worse may yet lie ahead, if the Strait of Hormuz remains disrupted and starts limiting jet fuel availability. While the situation in the Middle East could change in an instant, and carriers in the region have already made progress in rebuilding operations, the impacts on the industry will take longer to play out. Airlines are braced for jet fuel prices to remain elevated for the foreseeable and that puts the viability of routes under pressure. Carriers have already slowed growth expectations for this year and cut capacity at the margins. Some are accelerating the withdrawal of older or wet-leased aircraft and more of the same seems likely to follow in the winter. The extent to which capacity cuts and network changes will proliferate depends not just on oil price developments, but also on how much of the increased fuel costs can be recaptured through higher fares. Initially, at least, airlines around the world have reported encouraging signs as demand has remained strong even with increased fares. Capacity levels are also likely to be negatively impacted by cuts or failures among struggling airlines. The crisis has already proved the final straw for US discounter Spirit Airlines, which pulled the plug on restructuring efforts at the start of May. If there is no respite on fuel costs, carriers with weak balance sheets or limited hedging in place will find the pressure ratcheted up after the Northern Hemisphere summer peak. Against this backdrop, when network planners met for Routes Europe in the Italian resort city of Rimini, most were planning for multiple scenarios. But the experiences the industry has been through since the start of the decade mean market uncertainty and adversity have almost become business as usual. Italy was an apt place for network planners to meet, given the popularity of the country. This summer has seen a string of new routes, both in short-haul networks from expanding low-cost carriers and on long-haul flights with some eye-catching new transatlantic links. Many of these routes are fuelled by new aircraft technology, serving as a reminder of the network opportunities that remain if the fuel crisis does not derail the industry.

As I write this note, a heatwave is beating down on the UK, signalling the arrival of the busy summer travel season. With air traffic reaching record highs globally, airports and airlines are under increasing pressure to maintain efficient GSE operations, ensure smooth turnarounds, and uphold high safety standards for both passengers and ground handling teams. In this issue, we bring you the latest developments in the GSE space, focusing on ground power units (GPUs), water and lavatory vehicles, and equipment leasing and rental. Electrification continues to be at the forefront of the minds of aviation stakeholders. To learn more, I visited ITW GSE's factory in Odense, Denmark, as well as Rushlift GSE's operation at Gatwick Airport, to find out about the companies' approaches to electrification and to discover how new technologies are transforming GSE design and operations. Moreover, I caught up with Aviator Airport Alliance at IGHC Cairo to gather insights on how the Nordic ground handler is approaching eGSE transition. I also spoke with Mathieu Blondel, co-author of a report on the topic, about the opportunities and challenges associated with decarbonising ground operations. While sustainability is evidently a key focus for the industry, safety on the apron remains a pressing issue. March saw a tragic incident at New York's LaGuardia Airport, in which an Air Canada plane collided with an Oshkosh Striker 1500 airfield rescue and firefighting (ARFF) vehicle. Megan Ramsay explores the circumstances that led to the accident, as well as wider advancements in ARFF technology and design. An additional challenge in flight safety is also emerging: bird strikes, which can result in serious damage to aircraft and, in rare cases, have caused engine failure. Tony Harrington investigates whether enough is being done to tackle the issue. We also welcome back a guest writer, Mark Finch, who pens an insightful article on GSE pooling.