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

A year after Congress passed its massive 1,300-page FAA reauthorization bill, the agency has checked off numerous key requirements—from shortening the aircraft registration time and stepping up hiring of controllers to updating airport guidance. However, implementation of the bill has become even more urgent, lawmakers maintain, as the FAA faces continuing and growing issues stemming from workforce constraints, ATC and communications outages, and safety concerns surrounding the series of recent high-profile fatal accidents.
“While the FAA is making some progress in implementing the law, recent tragic aviation accidents and close calls make clear that the administration must prioritize the critical safety reforms included in the reauthorization,” said Rep. Rick Larsen (D-Washington), the ranking member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, during a hearing on FAA reauthorization implementation. “The immense loss that occurred from the tragic mid-air collision at Washington National Airport (KDCA) highlights the need for the FAA and Congress to recommit to enhancing the safety of the National Airspace System (NAS) and restoring the flying public’s confidence in that system.”
He pointed to fatal crashes in Alaska, Philadelphia, and Arizona as well, and noted other incidents and accidents such as the air tour helicopter crashing into the Hudson River, other loss-of-separation events at KDCA, equipment failures involving the New York region, and notam system outages.
“The American people are justifiably outraged and demand the FAA do more to make our system safer and more reliable, and we want to help,” he said. “One of the most immediate and effective long-term solutions the FAA can do right now to make our system safer is to swiftly implement the 2024 FAA reauthorization law.”
These mandates range from modernizing the FAA’s staffing models to establishing a Runway Safety Council and auditing ATC systems. In addition, the FAA should consider other policies that were not included in the law, and he said while he has not yet seen the budget proposal for modernization, he believes the Department of Transportation’s push to upgrade facilities, systems, and equipment “is a very positive step forward.” The committee is planning to collaborate on legislation to meet modernization goals.
Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Sam Graves (R-Missouri) agreed: “With heightened attention being placed on the need to modernize our air traffic control system—an initiative that all in this room support—the reauthorization bill gave the FAA a flight plan. Now they must start the plane and follow it.” Graves pointed to the $12.5 billion included in the budget reconciliation bill designed to help in that effort.
He noted the bipartisan support that the reauthorization bill garnered—more than 387 members in the House and 88 Senators voted in favor—as well as the backing from more than 1,000 aviation organizations and companies. “Not many pieces of legislation enjoy such wide bipartisan support.”
He also pointed to the breadth of the bill, including reforms to address close calls, a workforce title, a general aviation title, Airport Improvement Program increases with streamlined environmental permitting, and provisions surrounding advanced air mobility, among many others.
“The FAA has made significant progress in implementing the act’s several hundred requirements during the past year,” Jodi Baker, deputy associate administrator of aviation safety at the FAA, reported to the committee.
Baker highlighted several of those initiatives: “So far, we have reduced the aircraft registration backlog, and applications are now processed within an average of 10 business days or less. We also shortened the timeframe for determining acceptance or rejection of air carrier, air operator, and air agency certificate applications. We have improved the guidance that our inspector workforce uses while planning for production approval holder inspections.”
She also noted efforts to improve safety data analysis, including incorporating advanced tools to ease processing and better identify trends from the Aviation Safety Information Analysis and Sharing System. The agency has further focused on advanced air mobility, including announcing that the Texas A&amp;M University system will operate a Center for Advanced Aviation Technologies to help integrate new technologies into the NAS.
“The FAA is ready for powered lift, the first brand-new category of civil aircraft in almost a century,” she maintained, pointing to the release of the special federal aviation regulation late last year on powered lift instructor and pilot certification, pilot training, and operating rules.
On the ATC modernization front, Baker stressed that this is an administration priority, noting the plan rolled out last week to replace core infrastructure, including radar, software, hardware, telecommunications networks, and facilities. “The FAA has already accelerated the modernization of the [notam] system. We expect delivery by July of 2025 and are targeting deployment by September of 2025.”
In addition, she said the agency is “laser-focused” on controller and aviation inspector hiring and is updating staffing targets to reflect recent negotiated levels with the National Air Traffic Controllers Association. On that front, the agency has begun to offer incentives not only to grow the controller pipeline but also to retain those already in the system, and is using “spot-hiring authority” for experienced military controllers. Direct hiring is also in place for aviation inspector hiring, Baker added.
Other efforts involve updated airport improvement plan guidance and vertiport guidance, along with an effort to assist the transition to fluorine-free firefighting foam.
As for runway incidents, the agency has added Surface Awareness Initiative technologies and procedures at 18 sites, with more than 30 additional sites planned to go operational by 2025. “We are rolling out new enhanced safety technology at more than 70 airports.”

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.

Lawmakers: Outages, Crashes Underscore Urgency of FAA Bill Implementation

The 1,300-page FAA bill was adopted one year ago

The FAA reported progress on many measures in the FAA reauthorization bill, but with outages and accidents, Congress stressed the urgency of those measures.

Lawmakers: Outages, Crashes Underscore FAA Bill Urgency

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

Curt Epstein

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.

The airport is reducing peak access due to construction

CBAA Protests Reduced Bizav Slot Allocation at Montreal

Amy Wilder

News about simulators and training procedures, as well as workforce.

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.

Organization’s five-point strategy aims to reduce delays across Europe

Eurocontrol Warns of Growing Air Traffic, Delays in Europe

New 7601 squawk code applies to IFR flights in VMC

Europe Adopts New Rules for Lost Com, Emergencies

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.

Future is unclear with Republican infighting

Budget Bill Set for Next Vote with More ATC Funding

Legislation would eliminate Mach 1 speed limit for aircraft if no sonic boom reaches the ground

Bill Filed To Allow Supersonic Flight over Land in U.S.

Group says technology alone won’t improve safety

PMHC Applauds Duffy’s ATC Plan, Urges Broader Reform

Facing multiple crises in short-time as acting administrator

FAA's Rocheleau: Managing through 'Bumpy' Transition

News and information about crew, passenger, aircraft and airport security issues.

More In Regulations and Government