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

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy continued his push for further federal investment into modernization of the air traffic control system, reiterating to lawmakers yesterday that it will take $31.5 billion “to do the full project.”
Duffy on Wednesday appeared before the full House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee to discuss a range of priorities for the Department of Transportation.
“The 67 lives lost by a midair collision of an army helicopter and a commercial flight over the Potomac was a stark reminder of what’s at stake in our most fundamental mission at the Department of Transportation,” he said. “This tragic episode is also why the construction of a brand-new air traffic control system is at the top of our agenda.”
He appreciated that Congress allocated $12.5 billion and again called it a down payment. Duffy further said that funding appears to garner strong support on both sides of the aisle.
He noted that he has outlined a three-to-four-year plan to completely overhaul the outdated system. While stressing that flying is safe, Duffy reminded the committee of the glitches in the Tracon in Philadelphia that impacted Newark, New Jersey airspace. Those and others “have exposed issues within the system as a whole,” he said, adding that this is helping drive the effort for a new ATC system—“state of the art, gold plated.”
This is an imperative, Duffy added, with more commercial flights, expanding commercial space launches, the proliferation of drones, and the introduction of advanced air mobility vehicles.
As for the $12.5 billion, Duffy said that would pave the way for new telecom, radio, voice switches, and radar technologies, along with a new air route traffic control center (ARTCC). This is critical because the last ARTCC system built dates to 1967, he estimated.
But DOT has ambitions for six such facilities, and most of its expansive overhaul plans are for the next three years. “We will need more [funding] to do it,” he told the committee. “My hope is that we’ll have an additional conversation about how we can do that, and I think time is of the essence…We need to be doing this now.”
Duffy expressed confidence that, with the right resources, the FAA can meet the administration’s timeline, noting that the FAA has had procurement flexibility it hasn’t used before. He also expressed a desire to work more closely with industry, including “the CEOs.” In addition, he said, “recent changes at Newark Liberty International Airport have demonstrated the effectiveness of our proposal to fix the aging system.”
The hearing discussed a range of topics across all modes of transportation and involving the FAA. He was asked about protecting U.S. exports. While not specifically mentioning tariffs, Duffy responded: “Well, I think just free markets, free trade,” and pointed to the fact that the aviation industry is a net exporter to the benefit of the U.S.
He was also asked about the 1,500-hour requirement for airline pilots. Duffy supported 1,500 hours as a baseline but remained open to considering how new technologies, including simulator training, could shape that. But he stressed that there are no plans in the works to change the rule.
Duffy further updated on controller hiring, saying the FAA remains on track to hire 2,000 controllers this year, with hopes to push that up to 2,500 next year.

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

DOT Chief Continues Push for More ATC Funding

Duffy says FAA needs $31.5 billion to completely upgrade ATC

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy took his case for additional ATC modernization funding to Congress.

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

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.

Lawmakers and aviation leaders aligned on ATC modernization

Aviation Stakeholders Eye Funding Needs for ATC Overhaul

Charles Alcock

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

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

Aviation safety agency ordered cancellation of at least 40% of flights

French Controllers Strike Disrupts Traffic at Multiple Airports

FAA has issued a request for information on potential modernization integrator

DOT Meets with Stakeholders To Map Out Modernization

Curt Epstein

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.

The project wrapped two weeks early after 24/7 effort

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News about environmental issues relating to aircraft operations, including noise issues, emissisions, and regulations. See Fuel for biofuel.

Aircraft operators will be charged a new fee to support the work

Redesign of UK Airspace Will Start with London 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.

Bolen said system needs addition $18.5 billion over three years

ATC Modernization Becomes Urgent Focus of FAA Reauthorization

Amy Wilder

News and information on safety procedures and concerns.

Predictive engine designed to support tower situational awareness

NoamAI Launches Artificial Intelligence ATC Assistant

Hanneke Weitering

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.

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