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

Later this year, the city of St. Clair, Mo., is hoping to shutter the St. Clair Regional Airport (K39). This follows a nearly decade-long battle that culminated in Congress taking the unusual step of passing a bill that released the city from its federal obligations related to the&nbsp;airport.

 


The city, calling it unprofitable, has sought since at least the mid-2000s to close the airport and use the 80-acre parcel of land for retail or other commercial development. But St. Clair had taken federal grants for the airport as late as 2006, making it beholden to federal grant assurance agreements stipulating that the airport cannot close without FAA&nbsp;approval.

 


After negotiations among city, state and federal authorities failed to produce the desired results, Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) stepped in with a bill, S.2759, that releases those federal obligations, clearing a path for the city to close the airport. During the lame-duck congressional session in late 2014, Congress passed the bill into law. The airport is now undergoing an environmental assessment and could cease to exist within six&nbsp;months.

 


Congressional passage came over the objections of the general aviation community, which wrote to lawmakers, “We have serious concerns about closing and further limiting access to general aviation airports across the country, especially through legislation.” Sent by NBAA, the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), National Air Transportation Association (NATA) and General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA), the letter also pointed out that a process for closing airports, when applicable under current laws, already exists under grant assurance requirements. “This process exists, in part, to protect the federal investment in airports across the country,” the associations wrote.

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

Preserving General Aviation Airports: A Matter of Money, Land and Politics

General aviation advocates see education as key to preservation.

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

Curt Epstein

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.

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.

Midway Island plays a role in ETOPS flight planning

FAA Ponders Fate of Remote Pacific Island Airfield

Tennessee governor suggests change to airport board

Nashville Mulls Airport Name Change To Honor Dolly Parton

Hanneke Weitering

News and issues regarding all manner of civil and military rotorcraft and their powerplants, including helicopters, tilt rotors and unmanned air vehicles.

Site will support both piloted and pilotless VTOL flight testing

Wisk Begins Building eVTOL Vertiport at Hollister Airport

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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Haneda Plans Three-strikes Rule To Bench Errant Pilots

Restriction targets individual pilots, not the operator or aircraft

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Groups point to $195 million in economic contribution

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