Explore every episode of the podcast ABNcast

In this latest edition of ABNcast we look forward to this year’s T2RLEngage conference with Bert Craven, Deputy Chief Executive and President, Technology, and Ian Luck, President, Distribution at T2RL. ABN is once again a media partner for the event that will see around 600 delegates meet to discuss airline transition to modern retail, payments, and distribution.

In this special episode of ABNcast recorded at the Passenger Experience Conference in Hamburg, ABN's Lee Hayhurst spoke to three delegates about the key trends they are seeing in the world of airline passenger experience.

This episode of ABNcast was recorded at the annual Airline & Travel Payments Summit Mega Event in Dublin. We speak to Micheal Smith, from the conference organiser Ai Events, industry retail and technology expert Mark Lenehan, founder of Lenehan Consulting, and Risto Savolainen, founder of Maxa Group, that is pioneering new online payments technology.

Global OTA Trip.com hosted its first Airline Global Conference in Amsterdam this week, the first outside of its home territory in the Far East. ABNcast was invited along to hear the latest thinking on how airlines will partner and co-create technology platforms fir for the era of Artificial Intelligence and Agentic Commerce. In this episode we speak to Trip.com, Amadeus, IATA, and Lufthansa.

Aviation Business News attended the Aerospace Wales Expo 2026 in Llandudno last week which showcased some of the country’s leading aerospace companies and the value they represent to the Welsh economy in terms of jobs and tax revenues. In this specially extended edition of ABNcast we speak to Rachael Blackburn, Director and Chief Operating Officer of Aerospace Wales, Dave Cooper, Managing Director of Tarvin Precision, Stephen Beasley, Chief Executive of Metrology Engineering Services, and Professor Robert Bolam, Professor of Aeronautical Engineering at Wrexham University.

In this episode of ABNcast we caught up with UATP president and chief executive Ralph Kaiser, and Chief Marketing Officer Wendy Ward, immediately after this year's conference concluded to take stock on what was a busy two days focussing on the future of payments and distribution as the world accelerates into a future dominated by AI and agentic technologies.

With the Aircraft Interiors Expo poised to reach the landmark of 25 editions this year, ABN's Lee Hayhurst spoke to event direct Archana Dharni about the world's leading cabin trade show ahead of delegates convening in Hamburg for this year's event.

Last week's UATP Airline Distribution conference in Barcelona saw 300 airline, payments, and technology delegates gather to discuss the future of distribution, retail, and airline ecommerce. In this Day 2 episode of ABNcast we talk to Affirm, Virgin Atlantic, Kyte and The 30 Percent Group about how airlines and their tech partners are navigating disruption and change in the era of AI and agentic commerce.

This week's UATP Airline Distribution conference in Barcelona saw 300 airline, payments, and technology delegates gather to discuss the future of distribution, retail, and airline ecommerce. In this Day 1 episode of ABNcast we talk to three innovators; split payments company Hands In, AI tech specialist Mobi and payment IT Pioneer Burbank Software.

Lee Hayhurst caught up with Ian Thompson, founder of events company Aviation Network Group to discuss the story behind ANG’s creation, why community matters in aviation, and how their exclusive events and discussions help members stay ahead of trends without sales pitches - just honest, high-value conversations.

In this episode, we bring together three forward-thinking leaders shaping the future of aviation and advanced manufacturing. Mahmoud El Sawah, Founder and CEO of AirNxt, Zoe O'Byrne, Sales Executive at Eirtrade Aviation, and Sean Simons, Co-Founder and CEO of Robot Toolworx, share insights on innovation, automation, sustainability, and the evolving aviation ecosystem. From next-generation air mobility to MRO solutions and robotics-driven manufacturing, this conversation explores how technology and leadership are redefining the industry.

Lee Hayhurst brings all the action from Day One at the Inaugural PAM MENA conference in Dubai, with interviews from:

• Kamal Patel, Chief Growth Officer at AireXpert
• Shakespear Nyamande, Head of Paperless Digitalisation Project at Jaramco,
• Buthaina Alghunaim, Airworthiness Duty Manager at Gulf Air

In this third of a mini-series of three ABNcast episodes featuring James Spalding, Regional Director for Northern Europe & North America at Trip.com, ABN's Lee Hayhurst talks about what happens when things don't go according to plan. How is Trip.com able to assist its airline partners to cope and recover in situations of irregular operations by being that conduit between them and customers looking for advice and information about what to do when travel is disrupted.

Lee Hayhurst, Editorial Director at Aviation Business News, sat down with James Spalding, Regional Director for Northern Europe & North America at Trip.com Group, at their London office for an insightful conversation on the evolving travel landscape. 🌍 From post-pandemic recovery to digital innovation and shifting traveller behaviours, James shares expert perspectives on what’s next for the global travel industry. Don't miss this deep dive into one of the sector's leading online travel platforms.

The first of ABNcast's mini series with Trip.com.

Finland topped the world rankings for being the happiest place on earth for the eighth year running in 2025, so what’s it like to live and work there in the country’s flourishing aviation sector? ABNcast finds out by talking to Harri Ojala, Chief Executive of Business Tampere, about the region’s focus on the aviation sector, and also its expertise in technology and innovation due to its historic connections with Finnish telecommunications company Nokia.

At our PAM Europe, Dublin conference 2025, Lee Hayhurst catches up with:

• Stephen Rayner, PM Senior technical Engineer, British Airways
• Honor Powrie, Snr Director of Data Analytics, GE Aerospace
• Cameron Byrd, CEO & Founder, AIXI Inc.

Together, they explored the latest breakthroughs in predictive maintenance—from smarter data insights to more efficient fleet operations.

At our PAM Europe, Dublin conference 2025, Lee Hayhurst catches up with:

• Darren Macer, Principle Senior Technical Fellow, Maintenance Strategy and Vision, Boeing
• Jeff Smith, Head of Digital Product Programs, Parker Aerospace
• Pascal Parant, Group Chief Commercial and Marketing Officer, Vallair

Together, they explored the latest breakthroughs in predictive maintenance—from smarter data insights to more efficient fleet operations.

At our PAM Europe, Dublin conference in October 2025, Lee Hayhurst caught up with:

1. Craig Lynch, Predictive Aircraft Maintenance at Easy
2. Aude Fagour, Predictive Aircraft Engineer, Air France/KLM
3. Conor O'Brien, Technical Director, EirTrade Aviation

Together, they explored the latest breakthroughs in predictive maintenance—from smarter data insights to more efficient fleet operations. They also reflected on the encouraging rise of women entering engineering, and what it means for the future of aviation.

A new global player in the aircraft engineering and MRO sector has emerged with the divestment of Drayton Aerospace's non-Chinese interests. In this episode of ABNcast ABN's Lee Hayhurst speaks to founder and experienced aviation professional Hussein Lookmanjee about his ambitions for DTX, key trends he sees in the sector, the ongoing challenge for people and skills, and why he still gets excited about working in aviation.

Joey Smith, director of aviation services at investment banking firm Cassel Salpeter spoke to ABN editorial director Lee Hayhurst in this latest edition of ABNcast about a report the firm has published looking at the impact that Artificial Intelligence is having on the sector. He also expresses his concerns about the looming threat of US tariffs by the Trump administration on prospects for the industry.

The latest episode of ABNcast focuses on pilot and cabin crew recruitment with AAP's head of human resources Stine Berg. She tells ABN's Lee Hayhurst how the market for new recruits is changing, as is how people feel about roles in aviation, and what the sector must do to adapt to ensure it has the talent to thrive in the future. The edition airs as registrations close for this year's ABN Best Places To Work In Aviation awards.

Airchair was developed in 2007 to help airlines match a key regulatory and social requirement to a passenger’s needs.

Lee Hayhurst sits down with Sarah McOnie to discuss the origins of the family business, the changing regulatory environment in this area, and their AirChair product which focuses on efficiency and passenger comfort.

On a visit to the Wayfinding Centre Dublin, Lee Hayhurst sat down with Frank O’Hagan, head of marketing at Altavair, Chris White, chief executive at Vision Ireland and Ken Fitzgibbon, chief executive at EirTrade Aviation to discuss how Wayfinding provides innovative and sustainable solutions for transport and mobility challenges experienced by people with a disability.

At Farnborough International Airshow 2024, Deutsche Aircraft announced the unveiling of the first fuselage cut for the inaugural test aircraft for the D328eco™ programme. The Farnborough International Airshow began on a momentous note for Deutsche Aircraft, as the OEM announced the initiation of the first fuselage cut for the D328eco test aircraft. This significant milestone sets the stage for the test aircraft's maiden flight. With over 95% of suppliers already onboard, the D328eco programme has made remarkable progress over the past four years.

Lee Hayhurst caught up with Deutsche Aircraft's VP of Sales and Marketing, Anastasija Visnakova, to discuss this new eco friendly aircraft, the multi-role capabilities, challenges bringing it to market and the on-going push for talent within the OEM sector.