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

Escalating a continuing dispute over a seniority list, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) filed a lawsuit against Flexjet and Flight Options, alleging the companies are refusing to negotiate with the union. The IBT, Teamsters Airline Division and Local 1108 have filed the lawsuit, charging the company is violating the Railway Labor Act by a refusal to negotiate. The IBT also sought dismissal of a lawsuit Flexjet and Flight Options filed over the union’s proposed seniority system.

 


Teamsters Local 1108 president Efrem Vojta <a href="http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2016-03-09/teamsters-and-flexjet/flight-options-clash-over-pilot-seniority">sent the integrated seniority list</a> to Michael Silvestro, CEO of Flight Options and Flexjet, in February, and asked the company to engage&nbsp;immediately&nbsp;in negotiations for a joint collective bargaining agreement under Section 6 of the U.S. Railway Labor Act. Company management has called the system&nbsp;used by the union to draw up the seniority list “blatantly unfair,” but the IBT said it was “unanimously agreed upon by the two autonomous committees of Flexjet and Flight Options pilots.”

 


The Teamsters maintains the companies must accept the seniority list under the Flight Options Collective Bargaining Agreement, as well as by law. “The Teamsters strongly disagrees with Flexjet and Flight Options' litigation tactics, which are a complete waste of time and company resources,” Vojta said. “These funds should be going to providing their pilots with bonuses, wage increases and the compensation they deserve.”

 


The lawsuit comes as the operators have asked pilots to take a <a href="http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2016-04-05/flexjet-flight-options-restructure-fleets">voluntary separation agreement</a> as it shifts some aircraft from fractional to charter service and begins to retire other aircraft models.&nbsp;A Flexjet spokesman told AIN&nbsp;that the company declined to comment on the matter.

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

Union Fires Back on Flexjet/Flight Options Seniority Dispute

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2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

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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.

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.

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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.

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