AvTalk Episode 368: Humanoids handling your bags?

AvTalk Episode 368: Humanoids handling your bags?

Author: Flightradar24 May 1, 2026 Duration: 46:40
On this week’s episode of AvTalk, the NTSB’s preliminary report on the crash at La Guardia Airport in New York lays out the avenues of investigation and spurs the Port Authority to action. FedEx says it will put the MD-11 back into service in May, but the FAA still needs to weigh in. US low cost carriers are pitching the government on a $2.5 billion support package, while Spirit negotiates separately for an increasingly unlikely $500 million loan.
Alaska Airlines launches its first European service, while American Airlines returns to Venezuela for the first time since 2019. American and Southwest roll out special liveries ahead of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Plus, this month in Tokyo, humanoid robots could soon be handling your bags.
And we mark a special week at Flightradar24 as Fredrik Lindahl passes the CEO baton to Andreas Schorling.
Helpful links for this week’s episode

* NTSB preliminary report on LGA collision
* Reporting on FedEx MD-11s via FreightWaves
* Southwest’s Independence One
* Welcoming Andreas Schorling as Flightradar24’s new CEO


Click here for a transcript of this week’s episode.

Every Friday, the team at Flightradar24 opens the hangar doors for a conversation that goes far beyond just tracking flights. AvTalk-Aviation Podcast is hosted by Ian Petchenik and Jason Rabinowitz, two genuine enthusiasts whose curiosity is as vast as the skies they discuss. This isn't a technical manual, but a weekly gathering for anyone who feels that familiar pull to look up at the sound of a jet engine. You'll hear the latest news shaping the industry, from new aircraft developments to airline culture, alongside deeper explorations into the history, places, and societal impact of flight. The discussions are grounded in expertise yet remain completely accessible, whether you're just discovering your inner avgeek or you live and breathe all things aviation. With regular special guests adding their perspectives, each episode feels like sitting in on a fascinating conversation among friends who love to share what they know. Tune in for your regular dose of everything that makes aviation endlessly compelling.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 100

AvTalk - Aviation Podcast
Podcast Episodes
AvTalk Episode 352: It’s the deicing that’ll get ya [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:16
We begin the year with a mess in Amsterdam as more than 3,000 flights have been canceled at the airport this week following snow storms and a long list of operational problems. We look at the impact on civil aviation fro…
AvTalk Episode 351: Our favorite conversations from 2025 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:09
On this week’s episode of AvTalk, we’re beginning 2026 by looking back at a pair of our favorite conversations from 2025. Throughout the year, we focused a lot on the seemingly unending stream of news and what it meant f…
AvTalk Episode 350: “Outrageous:” close calls near Venezuela [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:07
On this week’s episode of AvTalk, a pair of incidents involving civilian aircraft and military aircraft without active transponders operating in Curaçao’s airspace sounds a bit too familiar. We discuss the events from th…
AvTalk Episode 349: How do you forget about a 737? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:03
On this week’s episode of AvTalk, Ian and Jason return from their respective travels to survey this week’s news. We return to India where IndiGo’s meltdown last week left the government none-too-pleased with the airline.…
AvTalk Episode 348: Consider the airspace closed in its entirety [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:41
On this week’s episode of AvTalk, Ian is joined by new Flightradar24 crew member Daniel Gustafsson in the Flightradar24 offices in Stockholm, while Jason finishes his journey through Japan’s cat cafes. We walk through th…
AvTalk Episode 347: Fatigue cracks, thrust levers, and sand ballast [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:22
On this week’s episode of AvTalk, Ian is joined by aviation journalist Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren to discuss a trio of recently released preliminary accident reports. * UPS flight 2976 — MD-11F crash on take off in Louisville…
AvTalk Episode 346: The A340-600 episode [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:49
On this episode of AvTalk, the Dubai Airshow wraps up with a long list of major orders and other announcements. The FAA cancels its cancellation order and air traffic in the US returns to pre-government shutdown levels.…
AvTalk Episode 345: Reasonable people [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:46
On this week’s episode of AvTalk, US airspace held together—barely—with hastily announced cuts to flights at major airports going into effect and air traffic controller staffing triggers peaking on Sunday. We also discus…
AvTalk Episode 344: UPS flight 2976 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:32
On this week’s episode of AvTalk, we discuss what we know so far about the crash of UPS Airlines flight 2976 in Louisville. To manage some of the burden on air traffic controllers during the government shutdown, the US i…
AvTalk Episode 343: It’s a retention issue [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:44
On this week’s episode of AvTalk, we chat with Katherine Moloney, a pilot and founder of Elevate(her) Aviation, an organization dedicated to raising the percentage of women in aviation careers around the world. Elevate(h…