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 U.S. House Appropriations Committee yesterday approved a $23.3 billion budget for the FAA in Fiscal Year (FY) 2026, more than a $2.3 billion increase over the agency’s funding in the current year and including enough for the hiring of 2,500 air traffic controllers. The FY2026 transportation, housing, and urban development (THUD) bill passed 35-to-28 after a nearly eight-hour markup, drawing opposition from Democrats over funding measures primarily involving the HUD side of the bill. &nbsp;
Several steps still lie ahead for the FY2026 budget: the bill must still receive consideration on the full House floor, and the Senate must consider its own version before the House and Senate can agree on a final bill.&nbsp;
For the FAA, the bill represents a significant boost in air traffic control funding with $10.368 billion allocated to fully fund ATC operations and the largest yet budget—$5 billion—for the facilities and equipment account. This would represent a $1.824 billion increase there alone.
The $13.48 billion overall operations budget would mark a $269 million increase from FY 2025, albeit still $90 million below the administration’s request. A $379 million budget for the Aircraft Certification Service includes additional funding for inspector training to strengthen oversight and rebuild expertise that had been depleting in recent years.
In addition, the bill directs the FAA to carry out measures in the FAA reauthorization bill related to modernizing and digitizing certification processes and increasing international harmonization.
The bill contains numerous directives on furthering advanced air mobility and beyond-visual-line-of-sight efforts; accelerating communications, navigation, and surveillance technologies in offshore regions; improving the regulatory backlog and protecting parts manufacturing approval data; boosting staffing in the aeromedical division to reduce backlogs there; and increasing the use of technology for better safety data review.
Among many other directives is a pilot program for mobile clearances for general aviation, along with the continuation of business aviation privacy protections from flight tracking and the ban on heavy aircraft at New Jersey’s Teterboro Airport.
While other accounts scaled up, research and development funding would be cut to $230 million under the bill, a $50 million decrease from current levels. Airport Improvement Program funding would remain level at $4 billion.
NBAA welcomed the bill, saying it contains several important provisions to enhance aviation safety, security, technology, and workforce development. NBAA praised a measure that reiterates opposition to transferring operation of the ATC system to a not-for-profit, independent, private corporation.
“NBAA commends the committee for recognizing the urgent need to enhance the safety and reliability of ATC, while also preserving congressional and FAA oversight of our National Airspace System,” said NBAA president and CEO Ed Bolen. “This forward-looking measure provides the DOT with the necessary funding and guidance to help advance our nation’s aviation industry.”
NBAA further supported measures that foster alternative propulsion and the introduction of AAM vehicles, improve flight security for business aviation, and increase awareness of pilot and ATC mental health and wellness.
“This DOT funding package includes many positive steps that will cement our country’s longstanding position as a global leader in aviation,” Bolen added. “We now encourage lawmakers in the House and Senate to act swiftly in passing this bill.”

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.

House Panel Approves Budget Jump for FAA in 2026

House bill to provide a $23.3 billion budget for FAA in 2026

The House Appropriations Committee approved a more than $2 billion jump in the FAA’s budget in fiscal 2026, approving $23.3 billion in funding.

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

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20 aviation authorities have produced reference materials about advanced air mobility

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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.

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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.

FAA has improved on privacy issues

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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.

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Bedford Steps into FAA Administrator Role

Amy Wilder

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.

Principal inspectors to contact operators by early September to reissue OpSpecs, MSpecs, or LOAs 

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Budget Bill Provides $12.5B for ATC, 100% Depreciation

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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