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

Finding that most of the FAA’s air traffic control (ATC) systems are unsustainable or potentially unsustainable, a government watchdog stressed the need for urgency in modernizing aging systems. In a new <a href="https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-24-107001?utm_campaign=usgao_email&amp;utm_content=topic_transportation&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=govdelivery">report</a> to the U.S. Congress, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) noted that of the FAA’s 138 ATC systems, 51 were unsustainable and another 54 were potentially unsustainable.
That was the finding of an assessment the FAA conducted after it was forced to shut down the airspace last year due to an aging ATC system outage. The GAO undertook the study at the request of House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee leaders, who were concerned about the potential for growing system failures as air traffic continued to swell.
FAA officials informed the GAO that its aging systems "have been difficult to maintain due to the unavailability of parts and retirement of technicians with expertise in maintaining the aging systems."
Of the 105 unsustainable or potentially unsustainable systems, 58 play critical operational roles in the safety and efficiency of the ATC system, “but the agency has been slow to modernize the most critical and at-risk systems,” the watchdog reported.
The FAA has 64 ongoing investments in modernization efforts, but some projects won’t be complete for another 10 to 13 years and others needing replacement aren’t on any upgrade schedule—three of which are more than 30 years old, the GAO found.
Noting that the FAA undertook the assessment to prioritize investment decisions, the GAO maintained that has not yet been accomplished. “Until the FAA reports to the Congress on how it is addressing all critical systems, Congress will not be fully informed on how the FAA is mitigating the risks of these systems.” The GAO further questioned the consistency of the FAA’s oversight of modernization investments.
The GAO made seven recommendations that it said are designed to help the agency manage risks while it addresses unsustainable systems. Chief among them is reporting to Congress on how the FAA is mitigating risks for all unsustainable and critical systems. Further, the GAO recommended the FAA establish a timeframe for developing guidance to increase oversight; ensure investments have cost, schedule, and performance baselines; ensure the programs are organized in manageable segments; and ensure consistent reviews.

News, issues, personnel, equipment and developments about air traffic management.

Watchdog: FAA ATC Systems 'Urgently' Need Modernization

Three-quarters of FAA's ATC systems are either unsustainable or potentially unsustainable

The GAO is urging action to modernize the FAA's aging ATC systems after a review found that three-quarters were either unsustainable or potentially so.

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

New developments at airports including regulations and noise issues; legal disputes; openings, acquisitions and mergers.

News and issues relating to international air transport and cargo carriers, national airlines and regional airlines, including aircraft, engines, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security and training.

News and issues relating to business, corporate and private aviation, primarily regarding turbine-engine-powered airplanes and helicopters. Subjects include aircraft, engines, maintenance, operations, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security, and training.

KDCA and KEWR receive SMR-4 installations, while IDIQ AT&T covers coms

FAA Installs Surface Radars at Key Airports and Awards $74.3M to AT&T

Hanneke Weitering

Issues regarding financing of aircraft; aviation insurance; tax issues for aircraft operators; new companies and people in the aviation financing and insurance industries.

News about bills, laws, regulations and other governmental decisions affecting aviation and aerospace. Topics include FAA re-authorizations, taxes on fuel and aviation activities, environmental legislation, ICAO decisions, governmental mediation of labor conflicts and World Trade Organization disputes and decisions.

Milestone covers the software that talks to air traffic control

Merlin Clears a Certification Hurdle for AI in the Cockpit

Charlotte Bailey

News and issues relating to civil and military unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) of all kinds and sizes, including those used for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), combat (unmanned combat air vehicles, or UCAVs), law enforcement, research and other applications. Of particular focus is the FAA's planned integration of UAS into the U.S. national airspace system.

Honeywell-led consortium to consider advanced air mobility integration

Verti-Go Initiative to Lead European Airspace Update

NASA controllers used existing tools to manage simulated autonomous traffic

Wisk Tests 1:3 Supervisor Ratio for Autonomous Flight

Amy Wilder

News and issues concerning general aviation, specifically airplanes and helicopters powered by piston and alternative engines (i.e., non-turbine powered aircraft). Subjects include aircraft, engines, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security and training.

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FAA Installs Surface Radars at Key Airports and Awards $74.3M to AT&T

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Merlin Clears a Certification Hurdle for AI in the Cockpit

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Modern Skies Coalition Urges $20B More for ATC Upgrades

Funds would build on $12.5 billion approved last year

FAA Taps L3Harris To Modernize Surveillance Network

Contract covers more than 700 ground stations nationwide

FAA’s Wilbur To Improve Flight Delay Data Efficiencies

FAA completed an audit to strengthen NAS operations related to flight delays and cancellations

FAA Commissions First of New Indra Radars

The initial radar is installed in Putnam, Oklahoma

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