Inside Qantas' Project Sunrise

Inside Qantas' Project Sunrise

Author: Skift November 27, 2025 Duration: 35:37
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.  Follow the Hosts:  Gordon Smith – ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  Jay Shabat – ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with Airline Weekly LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/airline-weekly/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/Airline_Weekly/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/airlineweekly/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ WhatsApp: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@SkiftNews⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and never miss an update from the airline and travel industries.

Step inside the Airline Weekly Lounge, a podcast from Skift where the editors behind the industry publication gather for a deeper, more conversational look at the world of commercial flight. This isn't just a recap of headlines; it's a focused exploration of the complex forces shaping how airlines operate, compete, and ultimately survive. Each episode digs into the week's most intriguing developments, from fleet strategies and route networks to labor dynamics and the evolving culture of travel, always with a keen eye on the bottom line. The central, driving question remains: how do carriers actually turn a profit in this famously volatile business? You'll hear analysis that connects financial results to real-world operations, discussing everything from premium cabin innovations and loyalty program economics to airport politics and environmental pressures. The tone is informed and accessible, peeling back the layers on both major global network carriers and regional players. For anyone curious about the business realities behind their boarding pass, this podcast offers a regular dose of context and clarity, revealing the intricate balance of economics, service, and strategy that keeps the industry aloft. Join the editors in the lounge for a perspective that goes beyond the news cycle.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 422

Airline Weekly Lounge
Podcast Episodes
How Airports Need to Adapt for a Public Health Crisis [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:49
Ty Osbaugh, architecture firm Gensler’s aviation lead and principal, joins Skift Airline Weekly Editor Madhu Unnikrishnan for a discussion on how airports need to change to handle a public-health emergency. Everything fr…
Enormous Challenges and Possible Opportunities [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:32
The airline industry is ravaged now, but could this create an opportunity for new airlines to emerge? Skift Airline Weekly Editor Madhu Unnikrishnan and Seth Kaplan, Airline Weekly co-founder and current host of the Airl…
How Much Money Are Airlines Losing Now? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:25
This week Skift Airline Weekly editor Madhu Unnikrishnan was joined by Skift Aviation Business Editor Brian Sumers to discuss first quarter earnings -- and why they are likely the best numbers airlines will see for all o…
The Threat to Virgin Australia [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:31
This week the Skift Airline Weekly team discussed Virgin Australia’s potential demise as well as how other airlines are weathering the coronavirus fallout. Dive deeper with the latest issue of Skift Airline Weekly.
How Is the Coronavirus Pandemic Different From 9/11 for Airlines? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 13:38
The coronavirus pandemic is bringing the world's airlines to their knees. The Trump administration's decision on Wednesday to suspend travel between the U.S. and the European Union's Schengen area is unprecedented. But h…
La Compagnie President -- All-Business-Class Can Work [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 24:22
Can all-business class airlines work? La Compagnie President Christian Vernet thinks so. But while others have failed — remember MAXJet? — Vernet said his airline's product sets it apart, and the A321 is the ideal aircra…
Qatar's Bet on Air Italy Fails [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 15:19
Qatar Airways took a page from Etihad's book and invested in a European carrier. This elicited howls from the major U.S. airlines. They claimed this move was nothing more than a Trojan Horse strategy for Qatar to operate…
The Sabre-Farelogix Antitrust Lawsuit [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 10:09
A federal court is wading into the arcana of airline distribution. It's assessing whether there are antitrust issues with travel tech company Sabre's proposed acquisition of Farelogix. But what exactly is the deal? And w…
French Bee President Marc Rochet [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 20:03
French Bee President Marc Rochet is confident the airline's upcoming Newark-Orly flights will be successful, because the key to the airline's wins so far is its simplicity, he said. But will it work? Rochet said simplici…
Do Secondary Airports in L.A. and San Francisco Work? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 15:24
Just what is going on in California? JetBlue is drawing down at Long Beach and dropping Oakland altogether, while United is adding flights to small California cities. Can any airline make a go of the Los Angeles Basin's…