Kerry Lynch stepped into the role of editor of the&nbsp;Aviation International News&nbsp;monthly magazine in May 2022 after serving with&nbsp;AIN&nbsp;for eight years. She joined&nbsp;AIN&nbsp;in December 2014 as a senior editor covering Washington and business aviation news. She has also served on Convention News teams, including as editor of&nbsp;HAI Convention News. Lynch previously spent 25 years with Aviation Week. During her time there, she reported for and later steered&nbsp;The Weekly of Business Aviation, oversaw business aviation content on the&nbsp;Aviation Week Intelligence Network, served on the&nbsp;Show News&nbsp;staff, and held roles as the Washington columnist for&nbsp;Business &amp; Commercial Aviation&nbsp;and&nbsp;Overhaul &amp; Maintenance&nbsp;monthly magazines. In 2021 she was honored with the National Business Aviation Association Platinum Wing Award for lifetime achievement in journalism and was the 2004 recipient of the National Air Transportation Association’s Aviation Journalism Excellence Award. She also has been a recipient of an Aerospace Media Award for business aviation (2022) and NBAA Gold Wing Award (2003, 2024). Lynch graduated from The Ohio State University with a bachelor of arts in journalism.

Editor, AIN monthly magazine

Kerry Lynch

FAA pilot certificate issuances jumped by 19% year over year (YOY) in April, with the number of air transport pilot (ATP) certificates up 14%. However, this was down by 4% from 2019 levels, industry analyst Jefferies reported.
The agency issued 9,899 pilot certificates in April, including 5,089 student, 2,282 private, 1,529 commercial, and 999 ATP. While up YOY, this marked a 13% dip from March, when 11,324 certificates were issued in all.
Jefferies said the YOY increase in ATPs suggests U.S. airlines should have success in finding pilots. ATP issuances were 5% above the 12-month average. Commercial certificates, up 11% YOY in April, are down by 1% from 2019 levels. Student certificates were down 9% over 2019 levels, even while up 23% YOY. Private certificates increased by 18% YOY and inched up by 1% from pre-pandemic levels.
While up YOY, the numbers suggest a flattening from surges over the past year. On a trailing 12-month basis, FAA certificates are 28% above pre-pandemic levels, with student certificates 23% higher; ATP, +53%; and commercial, +19%.
Jefferies estimates the net U.S. airline population grew by 1.9% last year, to 141,800. This represents a 1% deficit of needs but is buffered by aircraft delivery delays, the analyst said. As aircraft deliveries pick up and pilot retirements increase, Jefferies believes the undersupply could grow, potentially reaching a 7% shortage by 2030.

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