The aviation industry is a vast and constantly changing one, so staying up to date on the latest headlines regularly is crucial. Key news stories and developments can be missed almost in the blink of an eye.
As an aviation student, keeping updated is not just in my personal interest but also in my academic interest too. Below I talk through my main media sources, but be assured there are many, many more out there! Be sure to share your own methods and sources… I’d love to hear how you stay up to date!
Email Newsletters/Mailing List
These are, in my view, the best way to keep yourself informed on the latest industry headlines. I’m subscribed to an abundance of mailing lists which I review daily and add any particularly interesting articles or content to my Chrome reading list for a more detailed read through once a week. Whilst the content isn’t always hugely important breaking news, these newsletters are released very regularly, and you can be selective in the lists you subscribe to ensure any updates are relevant to your interests.
At the very least I recommend subscribing to IATA and ICAO newsletters, as these sources are fundamental reading for any aviation professionals. As someone with a particular interest in airports, I’m also subscribed to Airport Technology, Airport Industry News, and the International Airport Review lists. See our full list at the bottom of this page for more suggestions… and get subscribing!
Podcasts and Webinar Shows
Podcasts are a great way to stay updated. I’m not always in the mood for a heavy article or whitepaper, and so it’s great to occasionally tune in to an interview, chat, or update on aviation from industry professionals. These tend to be weekly or monthly – and it’s now become part of my regular weekly schedule to tune in to The Weekend Show from Airside International, as well as the Simple Flying Podcast. Another great podcast to tune in to is Airlines Confidential, presented by former Spirit Airlines CEO Ben Baldanza. These shows offer the latest news stories as well as professional perspectives on them, and are all easily listened to on Apple Music, YouTube or Spotify.
Webinars are also a great source of information. EUROCONTROL host regular monthly/bimonthly interviews with aviation professionals and executives, called “Aviation Straighttalk LIVE” – I highly recommend watching these talks on their YouTube channel or website as they bring insight and perspectives from major companies across the industry.
Magazines
To call myself a magazine fanatic would be a major understatement. There are a wide variety of aviation magazines around, and I believe they’re a fantastic way to keep yourself informed as well as to collect your own small archive of interesting content too. There are different publications available for different niches – be it terminal operations, airside operations, airline news, engineering and MRO, business travel, cargo, and many more.
I pay for a subscription to Airliner World and Airports of the World. Neither have a commercial/professional industry focus, but they are inexpensive and great to collect and read nonetheless. In terms of professional industry magazines, I am subscribed to International Airport Review, Air Transport World, Airports International, and Passenger Terminal World. All four offer free or low-cost subscriptions to industry professionals and/or students. IATA also release a regular magazine called ‘Airlines’ which is a valuable read too.
I recommend checking a few of these out, especially as many of them are free. I keep a copy of each on my desk and bring them with me when travelling – they aren’t there for breaking latest news headlines, but they bring interesting articles and perspectives on the industry from, in many cases, real industry leaders.
Social Media
As well as the above, social media is of course a great way to stay updated. Twitter and LinkedIn are, in my view, the most practical ways to stay up to date on the most relevant industry news.
I recommend you follow airlines, airports, government regulators, and other industry organisations. IATA, ICAO, ACI World and the CAA/FAA are a good place to start. There are also many groups and aviation news pages you can follow. Most of the above magazines and podcast shows have their own social media pages where they’ll distribute their content too.
I do hope this article will be of some help to you. It’s certainly difficult to know where to find the most relevant news, and to stay constantly updated with such a vast industry which changes constantly. If you have any tips or tricks of your own, or would like further advice from us or just a chat about aviation… don’t hesitate to get in touch. Thank you for reading.
See below our recommended reading/subscription list: