Welcome to The Bryan Air Podcast. Boardroom decisions land on your flight deck — we translate them first.

This is The Bryan Air Debrief, where we break down airline strategy, economic forces, and the business moves shaping your career. No corporate spin. Just the intelligence pilots actually need.

We let the FlySafair–Harith deal simmer over the weekend — and our take has shifted. Strip away the emotion, the Springbok flyovers, and the scars from state-owned failures, and what you're left with is a business deal that could unlock serious upside for both sides. Harith picks up one of the most remarkable airline growth stories on the continent, and FlySafair resolves its foreign ownership headache while potentially gaining a capital partner ready to invest. A standout viewer comment breaks down why the PIC isn't the government — and why this deal deserves to be judged on its own merits, not on the baggage of Mango or SA Express. So is FlySafair about to become SAA 3.0? We don't think so — and here's why.

In this midweek episode of The Bryan Air Podcast, Bryan Roseveare and Ryan Parrock revisit the FlySafair–Harith acquisition, discuss the difference between state-linked and state-owned entities, and explain why the deal could be a win-win for South African aviation.

00:00 Welcome to the Bryan Air Podcast (Midweek Check-In)

00:25 500 New Subscribers in Days — Thank You & Why It Matters for a Niche Channel

01:41 Revisiting the FlySafair–Harith Deal: What Changed After Letting It Simmer

02:31 Business vs Emotion: Why South Africans Take This Deal Personally

02:59 The Win-Win Breakdown: What Harith Gets & What FlySafair Gains

06:50 Brand Pride, Springbok Flyovers & Why State-Linked Skepticism Runs Deep

09:04 The Comment That Reframed Everything: PIC Independence & Judging the Deal on Merit

10:13 Is FlySafair Becoming SAA 3.0? Why That Comparison Doesn't Hold Up

13:02 Superbru F1 League Update: Nearly 20 Members & Why F1 Fits an Aviation Pod

15:45 Wrap-Up: Share Your Take — Even If You Think We're Wrong

✈️ Kaizen and the Art of Command & The Kaizen Command AI Mentor Leadership under pressure. Clear thinking. Calm execution. A practical framework for pilots and professionals who want to sharpen judgment and improve their command presence. The full product suite includes the Kaizen and the Art of Command course, micro-lessons, downloadable briefings, and the Kaizen Command AI Mentor.

👉 Get All Products Here (Course, AI Mentor, and more) → https://stan.store/bryanair

Your support genuinely keeps this show airborne. Every contribution helps us improve the podcast, upgrade our gear, and create more value for the aviation community. Thank you — we're incredibly grateful for every single supporter.

👉 Join the Patreon Crew → https://www.patreon.com/bryanair

🌐 Bryan's Website → https://www.bryanroseveare.com/ ⭐ All Digital Products (Courses & AI Mentor) → https://stan.store/bryanair ✈️ Watch on YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@BryanAirPodcast ❤️ Join the Patreon Crew → https://www.patreon.com/bryanair

#AviationPodcast #BryanAir #FlySafair #AirlineStrategy #PilotLife

Welcome to The Bryan Air Podcast. Boardroom decisions land on your flight deck — we translate them first.

This is The Bryan Air Debrief, where we break down airline strategy, economic forces, and the business moves shaping your career. No corporate spin. Just the intelligence pilots actually need.

Harith Partners just signed a full acquisition of FlySafair. We break down what it means for market dominance, the air service licensing question everyone's asking, and whether "business as usual" can survive a shift this big. Plus — American pilots are revolting against management, the EU got caught in a Qatar Airways bribery scandal, and Bryan's heading to Singapore to speak at the IATA World Data Symposium.

In this episode of The Bryan Air Podcast, Bryan Roseveare and Ryan Parrock analyse the Harith Partners acquisition of FlySafair, state ownership implications for South African aviation, American Airlines pilot unrest, the EU-Qatar Airways open skies scandal, Saudi Arabia's 150-aircraft order, Air Asia's A321XLR long-haul plans, and the launch of The Training Standard podcast.

00:00 Introduction: South Africa's Private Airline Shakeup, Pilot Revolts, and EU Bribery

00:16 FlySafair Acquired: The Deal That Rocked South African Aviation

00:58 Quick Favour: Subscribe to Keep This Show Airborne

01:46 Inside the Harith Partners Deal: Who's Buying and Why It Matters

02:55 The PIC Angle: Does This Make FlySafair a State-Owned Airline?

05:05 Crew Concerns: "I've Seen This Movie Before"

13:20 Market Dominance: 60%+ of Domestic Seats and Now State-Backed

18:13 American Airlines Pilots Lose Faith in Management

19:49 EU-Qatar Airways Open Skies Scandal: Free Business Class Flights and an Anti-Fraud Investigation

20:50 Saudi Arabia Eyes 150+ Boeing and Airbus Jets

21:40 Singapore Air Show Closes with 125,000 Attendees and Record Deals

22:19 Announcement: Bryan Speaking at the IATA World Data Symposium in Singapore

24:09 Live Show from Singapore: How to Join Us

26:33 Air Asia's A321XLR Long-Haul Gamble — and the Toilet Problem

28:02 British Airways' New Electronic Meal Ordering App

29:17 Elon Musk Pivots from Mars to a Moon City in Under 10 Years

31:15 Announcement: The Training Standard — A New Podcast on CBTA and EBT

37:03 Captain's Announcement: The Bryan Air F1 Super Brew Prediction Group

39:34 Final Thoughts: Share This with Your Crew

🌍 IATA World Data Symposium (Singapore, April 2025) → https://bit.ly/3ZBjwqO

🎙️ The Training Standard Podcast (CBTA & EBT with Bryan & Cedric) → https://open.spotify.com/show/6EQjTi2ZJYf4KkKhFrIIaM?si=8664d03e47084d89

🏎️ Join the Bryan Air F1 Superbru Competition → https://www.superbru.com/f1/pool.php?p=13157379

✈️ Kaizen and the Art of Command & The Kaizen Command AI Mentor Leadership under pressure. Clear thinking. Calm execution. A practical framework for pilots and professionals who want to sharpen judgment and improve their command presence. The full product suite includes the Kaizen and the Art of Command course, micro-lessons, downloadable briefings, and the Kaizen Command AI Mentor.

👉 Get All Products Here (Course, AI Mentor, and more) → https://stan.store/bryanair

Your support genuinely keeps this show airborne. Every contribution helps us improve the podcast, upgrade our gear, and create more value for the aviation community. Thank you — we're incredibly grateful for every single supporter.

👉 Join the Patreon Crew → https://www.patreon.com/bryanair

🌐 Bryan's Website → https://www.bryanroseveare.com/ ⭐ All Digital Products (Courses & AI Mentor) → https://stan.store/bryanair ✈️ Watch on YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@BryanAirPodcast ❤️ Join the Patreon Crew → https://www.patreon.com/bryanair

#AviationPodcast #BryanAir #FlySafair #SouthAfricanAviation #AirlineStrategy

🎙️ EPISODE SNAPSHOT

Welcome to The Bryan Air Podcast. Boardroom decisions land on your flight deck—we translate them first.

This is The Bryan Air Debrief, where we break down airline strategy, economic forces, and the business moves shaping your career. No corporate spin. Just the intelligence pilots actually need.

We asked our listeners a simple question: if you could go back and choose a different career path, cargo, corporate, regional, international—would you? The responses hit harder than we expected. One pilot says he'd leave aviation entirely. A 40-year veteran says chase hard currency as fast as humanly possible. A bush flying legend says slow down and enjoy the ride. And one captain loved the job so much he'd almost fly for free. Six pilots, six radically different answers—and buried in all of them is a truth about what this career actually demands versus what Instagram makes it look like. Plus, trade war rhetoric reaches the flight deck as Trump threatens to decertify Canadian jets, the FAA furloughs 10,000 workers during a government shutdown, a new rule means everything you say on the flight deck gets recorded for 25 hours, and we introduce you to AI agents that could change how you prepare for every flight. The question that lingers: are you flying because you love it, or because you haven't stopped to ask yourself honestly?

⏱️ TIME-STAMPED FLIGHT PLAN

00:00 Introduction and What's Coming This Week

00:30 Listener Responses: "Would You Choose a Different Path?"

01:40 Gavin Pretorius: "I'd Leave Aviation Entirely"—The Entrepreneurial Case Against Flying

04:03 Mike Mason: Bush Flying, Patience, and Why You Shouldn't Rush Your Career

08:38 Willem van der Merwe: 40 Years In—Why He'd Chase Hard Currency First

13:31 Walter Waldeck: From C-130s to F-27s to SAA—A Legendary Career Spanning Decades

18:03 Jaco Bester: Are Student Pilots Getting Into Aviation for the Instagram?

23:49 Roland Raible: "I Loved My Job So Much I'd Almost Do It for Free"

28:23 The Magic of a Good Crew—And What Happens When It's Not There

29:36 Choosing a Career Path: Begin With the End in Mind

30:46 Trump Threatens to Decertify Canadian Jets—Playground Tactics With Real Consequences

33:20 FAA Furloughs 10,000 Workers During Government Shutdown

34:07 25-Hour Cockpit Voice Recorders: Privacy Concern or Safety Necessity?

37:46 Air India Grounds Dreamliner Over Fuel Switch Defect Linked to Fatal Crash

39:04 Boeing Predicts 2.37 Million New Aviation Jobs by 2044

41:49 Captain's Announcement: AI Agents Are Here—Meet Open Claw

50:30 Super Brew Formula One Challenge: The Bryan Air Prediction League Is Coming

52:02 Conclusion and Sign-Off

💼 FEATURED DIGITAL PRODUCTS

✈️ Kaizen and the Art of Command & The Kaizen Command AI Mentor

Leadership under pressure. Clear thinking. Calm execution. A practical framework for pilots and professionals who want to sharpen judgment and improve their command presence. The full product suite includes the Kaizen and the Art of Command course, micro-lessons, downloadable briefings, and the Kaizen Command AI Mentor.

👉 Get All Products Here(Course, AI Mentor, and more) → https://stan.store/bryanair

❤️ A NOTE TO OUR PATREON COMMUNITY

Your support genuinely keeps this show airborne. Every contribution helps us improve the podcast, upgrade our gear, and create more value for the aviation community. Thank you—we're incredibly grateful for every single supporter.

👉 Join the Patreon Crew → https://www.patreon.com/bryanair

🎧 LINKS

🌐 Bryan's Website → https://www.bryanroseveare.com/

⭐ All Digital Products (Courses & AI Mentor) → https://stan.store/bryanair

✈️ Watch on YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@BryanAirPodcast

❤️ Join the Patreon Crew → https://www.patreon.com/bryanair

Welcome to The Bryan Air Podcast. Boardroom decisions land on your flight deck, we translate them first.

This is The Bryan Air Debrief, where we break down airline strategy, economic forces, and the business moves shaping your career. No corporate spin. Just the intelligence pilots actually need.

When people ask what it takes to become a pilot, they're usually thinking about one thing—the flight deck. But the flight deck is just the beginning of a much bigger question: whose flight deck, and on what terms? This week we dig into career strategy that actually works: begin with the end in mind, then reverse engineer the flying career that gets you there. We also unpack why who you fly with matters more than what you fly—a lesson the industry rarely teaches. Then it's into the news: the NTSB clears the CRJ crew in the DC tragedy, UPS retires its entire MD-11 fleet after last year's crash, Southwest ends 55 years of open seating, and the FAA creates no-fly zones that move with ICE convoys. Plus, a rant about economy cabin behavior that every pilot will recognize.

00:00 Welcome: Boardroom Decisions Land on Your Flight Deck

00:43 Career Paths Decoded: Cargo, Corporate, Regional—Which Suits You?

02:56 Begin With The End In Mind: Reverse Engineering Your Aviation Career

04:37 The New Generation vs. Ours: How Pilot Opportunities Have Changed

10:15 Who You Fly With Matters More Than What You Fly

16:24 PSA Airlines Crash: NTSB Clears the CRJ Crew Completely

21:03 FAA's New ICE No-Fly Zones: Penalties for Drone Operators

22:00 55 Years Gone: Southwest's Open Seating Policy Is Dead

25:00 Delta Orders 31 New Widebodies: The Premium Push Continues

26:12 India's Self-Reliance Play: Building Regional Aircraft Locally

27:02 EasyJet Called Out: The Truth About "Cheap" Bag Fees

28:19 The Economy Cabin Rant: Overhead Lockers, Body Odor, and Bad Behavior

34:59 Closing Thoughts and How to Support the Show

✈️ Kaizen and the Art of Command & The Kaizen Command AI Mentor

Leadership under pressure. Clear thinking. Calm execution. A practical framework for pilots and professionals who want to sharpen judgment and improve their command presence. The full product suite includes the Kaizen and the Art of Command course, micro-lessons, downloadable briefings, and the Kaizen Command AI Mentor.

👉 Get All Products Here (Course, AI Mentor, and more) → https://stan.store/bryanair

Your support genuinely keeps this show airborne. Every contribution helps us improve the podcast, upgrade our gear, and create more value for the aviation community. Thank you—we're incredibly grateful for every single supporter.

👉 Join the Patreon Crew → https://www.patreon.com/bryanair

🌐 Bryan's Website → https://www.bryanroseveare.com/

⭐ All Digital Products (Courses & AI Mentor) → https://stan.store/bryanair

✈️ Watch on YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@BryanAirPodcast

❤️ Join the Patreon Crew → https://www.patreon.com/bryanair

Welcome to the Bryan Air Podcast, your weekly dose of real aviation talk. No PR polish. No corporate spin. Just pilots breaking down the stories shaping the skies: airline chaos, crew culture, decision-making, flight deck leadership, and the conversations you only hear at 38,000 ft.

The pilot hiring market just shifted from emergency mode to sustainable growth—if you've been waiting for your shot, this is it. Meanwhile, the EU Parliament just voted to keep your flight delay compensation at three hours (airlines wanted four), and United's about to take delivery of more wide bodies than any US carrier since 1988. Plus: a nose wheel departure in Orlando, a wifi hotspot bomb hoax, and the fake pilot who perfected the art of the jump seat con. Are you positioned for what's coming next?

00:00 Last Week's Misstep: The ATNS Apology That Needed to Be Made

00:54 Pilot Hiring 2026: From Post-COVID Chaos to Sustainable Growth

03:51 EU Flight Delay Compensation: Why Three Hours Still Matters

05:57 5G vs. Radio Altimeters: Who Pays the $4.5 Billion Bill?

08:05 United's 20 Boeing 787s: The Biggest Wide-Body Delivery Since 1988

10:03 A321 Neo Loses Nose Wheel at Orlando—Hard Landing or Structural Failure?

12:24 "I Have a Bomb" WiFi Hotspot Forces Emergency Landing in Barcelona

13:19 ForeFlight Layoffs: What Pilot Job Cuts Mean for App Quality

15:27 Indonesian ATR 42 Crash: First Fatal Accident of 2026

17:26 Elon vs. Mark O'Leary: The Ryanair Starlink Standoff Gets Personal

20:02 Ryanair's Marketing Team Fires Back—Social Media Gold

20:25 Kaizen and the Art of Command: Decision-Making Systems They Never Taught You

21:39 US Seizes Anti-Submarine Trainers Bound from South Africa to China

23:41 Riyadh Cargo's Bold Move: 122 Wide-Bodies to Challenge the Gulf Giants

24:52 The Fake Pilot Who Perfected Jump-Seating—Lessons from Frank Abagnale Jr.

27:45 AI Video Production: Why McDonald's Experiment Took Longer Than Just Filming

29:28 Changi Airport Hits 70 Million Passengers—China's the Fastest-Growing Market

31:03 Cargo vs. Passengers: Why Flying Freight Might Be the Better Gig

32:03 UFC at the White House and Formula One Super Bru Returns

35:02 Leave a Review, Help the Algorithm, Support the Show

✈️ Kaizen and the Art of Command & The Kaizen Command AI Mentor

Leadership under pressure. Clear thinking. Calm execution. A practical framework for pilots and professionals who want to sharpen judgment and improve their command presence. The full product suite includes the Kaizen and the Art of Command course, micro-lessons, downloadable briefings, and the Kaizen Command AI Mentor.

👉 Get All Products Here (Course, AI Mentor, and more) → https://stan.store/bryanair

Your support genuinely keeps this show airborne. Every contribution helps us improve the podcast, upgrade our gear, and create more value for the aviation community. Thank you—we're incredibly grateful for every single supporter.

👉 Join the Patreon Crew → https://www.patreon.com/bryanair

🌐 Bryan's Website → https://www.bryanroseveare.com/

⭐ All Digital Products (Courses & AI Mentor) → https://stan.store/bryanair

✈️ Watch on YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@BryanAirPodcast

❤️ Join the Patreon Crew → https://www.patreon.com/bryanair

🎙️ EPISODE SNAPSHOT

Welcome to the Bryan Air Podcast your weekly dose of real aviation talk. No PR polish. No corporate spin. Just pilots breaking down the stories shaping the skies: airline chaos, crew culture, decision-making, sport banter, and the conversations you only hear at 38 000 ft.

We're closing the hangar doors on 2025 with the ultimate cockpit debate: If the pay is the same, do you fly Boeing or Airbus? While the media hates on Seattle, we're taking a hard look at the A320's recent "solar radiation" nose-dive, toxic fume lawsuits, and why real pilots might still prefer the old-school metal. Plus, we breakdown the new $70M "no find, no fee" bounty on MH370, a $120k parking ticket for a "lost" 737, and why South African visa rules are a total dog show for business aviation.

⏱️ TIME-STAMPED FLIGHT PLAN

00:00 Welcome to the Bryan Air Podcast

00:20 Season Finale Reflections

02:15 Boeing vs. Airbus Debate

04:04 Airbus A320 Issues

13:57 Tourism Challenges in South Africa

21:06 Emirates' New Airbus A350

23:20 FAA Investigations and Airline Fines

25:10 Forgotten Boeing 737 Found

26:18 The Beast: MI-26 Helicopter

26:49 MH370: The Search Continues

29:08 Amazon Drones in Waco, Texas

35:21 Cirrus Aircraft Trade-In Program

37:01 US-India Tensions Over 787 Crash

38:16 Springboks' Rugby Success

43:18 F1 Championship Showdown

45:28 Thank You to Our Supporters

💼 FEATURED DIGITAL PRODUCT

✈️ Kaizen and the Art of Command

Leadership under pressure. Clear thinking. Calm execution.
A practical framework for pilots and professionals who want to sharpen judgment and improve their command presence.

Includes micro-lessons, downloadable briefings, and the Kaizen Command AI Mentor.

👉 Enroll for $147 at https://www.kaizencommand.com/

❤️ A NOTE TO OUR PATREON COMMUNITY

Your support genuinely keeps this show airborne.
Every contribution helps us improve the podcast, upgrade our gear, and create more value for the aviation community.
Thank you for backing us we're incredibly grateful for every single supporter.

👉 Join the Patreon Crew → https://www.patreon.com/bryanair

🎧 LINKS

🚀 Digital Products → [https://www.kaizencommand.com/

✈️ Watch on YouTube → [https://www.youtube.com/@BryanAirPodcast

❤️ Join the Patreon Crew → [https://www.patreon.com/bryanair

🎙️ EPISODE SNAPSHOT

Bryan and Ryan dissect the massive aircraft orders from the Dubai Air Show and the looming talent drain to the Gulf. We analyze the controversial claim that the global "pilot shortage" is a farce, debating why lifestyle stability and rosters are becoming more valuable than a paycheck. Plus, we cover why expats are returning to South Africa despite the pay cut, the final days of the MD-11 fleet, and why crew strikes are threatening to grind global carriers to a halt.

Welcome to the Bryan Air Podcast your weekly dose of real aviation talk. No PR polish. No corporate spin. Just pilots breaking down the stories shaping the skies: airline chaos, crew culture, decision-making, sport banter, and the conversations you only hear at 38 000 ft.

⏱️ TIME-STAMPED FLIGHT PLAN

00:00 – Welcome to the Bryan Air Podcast

00:10 – McLaren China Controversy

01:14 – Dubai Air Show Highlights

02:33 – Pilot Shortages and Career Opportunities

05:45 – Returning Home: Pilots' Perspectives

07:49 – MD-11 Grounding and Aviation Updates

09:05 – Volcanic Eruption

11:22 – Upcoming Air Shows and Events

14:12 – Strikes and Working Conditions in Aviation

22:46 – Holiday Plans and Weather Woes

24:25 – F1 and Rugby Updates

25:51 – Closing Remarks

💼 FEATURED DIGITAL PRODUCT

✈️ Kaizen and the Art of Command

Leadership under pressure. Clear thinking. Calm execution.

A practical framework for pilots and professionals who want to sharpen judgment and improve their command presence.

Includes micro-lessons, downloadable briefings, and the Kaizen Command AI Mentor.

👉 Enroll for $147 at KaizenCommand.com

❤️ A NOTE TO OUR PATREON COMMUNITY

Your support genuinely keeps this show airborne.

Every contribution helps us improve the podcast, upgrade our gear, and create more value for the aviation community.

Thank you for backing us we're incredibly grateful for every single supporter.

👉 Join the Patreon Crew → https://www.patreon.com/bryanair

🎧 LINKS

🚀 Digital Products → https://www.kaizencommand.com/

✈️ Watch on YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@BryanAirPodcast

❤️ Join the Patreon Crew → https://www.patreon.com/bryanair