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

The mass layoffs at the U.S. government have reached the FAA, with hundreds of probationary agency workers receiving emails beginning Friday evening that notified them of their termination. This included members of the Professional Aviation Safety Specialists (PASS) and the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA).&nbsp;
“We are troubled and disappointed by the administration’s decision to fire FAA probationary employees PASS represents without cause nor based on performance or conduct,” said PASS national president David Spero in a statement released over the weekend. “Several hundred employees have been impacted with messages being sent from an ‘exec order’ Microsoft email address, not an official .gov email address. Messages began arriving after 7 p.m. ET on February 14 and continued late into the night.”
PASS, which represents workers who inspect and maintain the nation’s air traffic control systems, believes that up to 300 members may be affected. Anecdotally, this includes a range of positions&nbsp;that include maintenance mechanics, aeronautical information specialists, environmental protection specialists, aviation safety assistants, and management and program assistants (administration personnel).
NATCA president Nick Daniels reported that numerous NATCA Region X employees were affected. Region X members are not controllers; however, they are involved in an array of tasks at the agency, including key safety-related roles such as aircraft certification specialists, airport division employees, automation support specialists, and aviation technical system specialists, among others.&nbsp;
“We will analyze the effects of these terminations on aviation safety and the National Airspace System,” Daniels said. “It’s a sad day for those who chose to serve in aviation safety and public service only to have their career cut short.”
Details of exactly how many workers were terminated—and where—were still uncertain as of Monday morning, a situation described as seemingly “sheer chaos.” The government definition of probationary includes both a recent hire or a long-serving employee who was moved or promoted into a new position. However, PASS said it was advised by counsel that only new positions are affected.
While not providing specifics, a U.S. Department of Transportation spokesperson on Monday afternoon told AIN when asked about the layoffs: "The FAA continues to hire and onboard air traffic controllers and safety professionals, including mechanics and others who support them. The agency has retained employees who perform safety-critical functions."
The White House has already moved to eliminate all functions related to diversity, inclusion, and equity activities, imposed a hiring freeze, and offered buyout packages. However, the American Association of Airport Executives noted that it was informed that air traffic controllers and other safety-critical positions at the FAA were exempt from the latter two actions, along with Customs and Border Protection personnel.
With the latest reports of employee terminations, Rep. Rick Larsen (D-Washington), the ranking member on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, released a statement: “Despite promising to spare aviation safety positions from their government-wide purge of public servants, the Trump administration has now fired hundreds of safety-critical workers that the aviation system depends upon to function. Conducting this reckless purge in the wake of the tragic crash at DCA and in the middle of a busy holiday weekend is a terrible idea that puts the traveling public at risk. It must be reversed immediately.”
On the Senate side, Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Washington), the ranking Democrat on the Commerce Committee, reacted: “Now is not the time to fire technicians who fix and operate more than 74,000 safety-critical pieces of equipment like radars, navigational aids, and communications technology. The FAA is already short 800 technicians and these firings inject unnecessary risk into the airspace—in the aftermath of four deadly crashes in the last month. The FAA’s safety workforce needs to be a priority for this Administration.”
Editor's Note: This article has been updated to include a response from the U.S. Department of Transportation.

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.

Hundreds of FAA Employees Drawn into Mass Layoffs

Both PASS and NATCA said their members were affected

Mass government layoffs are affecting hundreds of FAA employees, including members of both PASS and  ‘Region X’ of NATCA.

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

AmyWilder

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.

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.

Frivolous private lawsuits and punitive action against legal activities among concerns

AOPA Urges FAA To Stop Abuse of ADS-B Data

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.

Sen. Cantwell questioned Bradbury’s role in slowing SMS rules, waterboarding authorization

Deputy DOT Secretary Nom Bradbury Faces Dem Concerns

Charles Alcock

News and developments about airplanes, helicopters and unmanned air vehicles used in all varieties of operations, including airlines, military, business, commercial, general aviation and private.

News and issues concerning the aviation charter and fractional-ownership industries and markets, including company announcements, regulations, new developments and labor issues.

Front-runners like EHang are starting with sightseeing and logistics flights

China's Low-Altitude Economy Builds Path for eVTOL Air Taxi Services

Agency expects CARES portal to be fully implemented later this year

FAA Rule Takes Step toward Digital Aircraft Registration

Robert Sancetta

A pilot's foremost responsibility medically is to assess their fitness to fly

AINsight: Too Sick To Fly, Part 2

Sarah Rose

Tariff does not allow for exemptions or exceptions

Steel and Aluminum Tariff Gives Aviation Industry Pause

News and issues relating to the aerospace industry that are related to the science, engineering and business of flight in space involving civil, industrial and military applications, and similar topics related to flight in the atmosphere of the Earth that are not covered more directly by other AINonline subject channels. In other words, both astronautical and aeronautical subjects, except for those aeronautical topics that are specifically covered elsewhere on this website.

More In Regulations and Government

AOPA Urges FAA To Stop Abuse of ADS-B Data

Frivolous private lawsuits and punitive action against legal activities among concerns

Deputy DOT Secretary Nom Bradbury Faces Dem Concerns

Sen. Cantwell questioned Bradbury’s role in slowing SMS rules, waterboarding authorization

China's Low-Altitude Economy Builds Path for eVTOL Air Taxi Services

Front-runners like EHang are starting with sightseeing and logistics flights

FAA Rule Takes Step toward Digital Aircraft Registration

Agency expects CARES portal to be fully implemented later this year

AINsight: Too Sick To Fly, Part 2

A pilot's foremost responsibility medically is to assess their fitness to fly

Steel and Aluminum Tariff Gives Aviation Industry Pause

Tariff does not allow for exemptions or exceptions

FAA Order Reverses Notam Acronym Terminology

No rationale has been provided by the FAA explaining the change

Japanese Regulator Confirms Certification Basis for SkyDrive eVTOL

Japan Civil Aviation Bureau has issued the G-1 document to the start-up

AIN Products

SUBSCRIPTIONS

RESOURCES

ABOUT AIN