Outlet profile

The Air Current

U.S. independent, industry-specialist

Owned byIndependently owned and operated by founder Jon Ostrower

FundingPaid subscriptions (managed via Memberful platform); no advertising. Safety-related reporting is made available free of charge. Individual, quarterly, and annual plans are offered, with a multi-seat professional tier.

On the administrationmixed

Background

Jon Ostrower launched The Air Current in June 2018 after a career at Flightglobal (2007–2012), the Wall Street Journal (2012–2016), and CNN, where he served as aviation editor. He built the outlet around an existing professional following he had developed covering Boeing programs, airline economics, and aviation safety. From the start, the publication operated on a subscription-only model with no advertising, positioning itself as a specialist trade outlet for executives, engineers, and informed general readers rather than a mass-market news site. Safety reporting has always been made freely available, reflecting Ostrower's stated view that open sharing of safety information is a public good. The Air Current has won multiple Aerospace Media Awards, including for coverage of Boeing and Spirit AeroSystems, and received 11 nominations at the 2026 awards. Since 2025, its coverage has included close scrutiny of FAA leadership conflicts, DOGE-related personnel cuts at the agency, and Boeing's ongoing certification work — reporting that has at times highlighted risks and institutional friction created by administration decisions. The outlet does not carry a declared political ideology and is best characterized as a rigorous industry specialist publication with high sourcing standards.

Sources

Profile compiled 2026-08-11; refreshed when ownership, funding, or the administration changes.

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