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. lawmakers and aviation groups are stepping up pressure for the House of Representatives to act on a comprehensive aviation bill before the FAA’s operating authority expires on July 15. The House Transportation and Infrastructure (T&amp;I) Committee passed its version of comprehensive FAA reauthorization legislation in February, but that bill has stalled over controversy surrounding a measure in it to create an independent ATC organization.

 


The architect of the ATC measure, Rep. Bill Shuster (R-Pa.), maintains that he continues to build support in the House to move his bill. Shuster recently told Politico that “we are working on a strategy” to move the bill forward, but that the House would not take up the Senate-passed bill because it does not include “real reform.” Shuster also ruled out another stopgap extension of the FAA's authorization.

 


Lawmakers who spoke June 9 during the National Air Transportation Association’s 2016 Aviation Business Conference, however, said they had seen little movement on additional support for the Shuster bill and believe that the stalemate over the House bill could spur another extension.

 


House General Aviation Caucus co-chair Sam Graves (R-Mo.) spoke of important provisions in the House bill, such as the Pilots Bill of Rights 2, and agreed that Shuster is trying to push the bill through. But he thought an extension is more likely.

 


House opposition remained clear with T&amp;I ranking Democrat Pete DeFazio (Ore.) reiterated his concerns to the NATA conference attendees, questioning whether the proposed ATC reform would be constitutional and how that would affect airport funding.

 


Senate Commerce Committee member and General Aviation Caucus co-chair Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) noted the Senate passed its version of comprehensive reauthorization legislation with a rare almost unanimous 95-3 vote and said he believes the two chambers could work out the differences on the majority of the bills. The House has to pass a bill, he said.

 


Rep. Rick Larsen (D-Wash.), ranking Democrat on the House aviation subcommittee, and Rep. Mike Pompeo (R-Kan.) echoed similar sentiments during the NATA conference. Separately, the lawmakers also urged House action in a joint opinion piece published in The Hill. &nbsp;“If Congress wants to prove it can pass large reform legislation during a presidential election year, this is the ultimate opportunity,” the lawmakers said. “We cannot let [air traffic control] reform stand in the way of passing other meaningful reforms that are sorely needed in order to ensure America remains the global leader in aviation.”

 


Meanwhile, more than a dozen aviation organizations made a similar appeal to Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) in a June 8 letter.

 


“Republican and Democratic leaders from both sides of the Capitol have long acknowledged that operating the FAA under a series of extensions hinders the smooth operation of the agency and creates considerable uncertainty for the nation’s aviation stakeholders,” the groups told the House leaders. “Our organizations represent millions of hardworking taxpayers that want Congress to get things done and not let this important bill be stalled because of a provision that divides our community and many within Congress.”

 


House aviation subcommittee chairman Frank Lobiondo (R-N.J.), who also spoke during the NATA conference and who has worked closely with Shuster on the T&amp;I bill, noted that Ryan is aware that time is drawing short.

 


Signing the June 8 letter from the aviation associations were the Aerospace Industries Association, Aircraft Electronics Association, Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, Commemorative Air Force, Experimental Aircraft Association, General Aviation Manufacturers Association, Helicopter Association International, International Council of Air Shows, National Agricultural Aviation Association, National Air Transportation Association, National Association of State Aviation Officials, National Business Aviation Association, Recreational Aviation Foundation and Small UAV Coalition.

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.

Pressure Mounts for House Action on FAA Bill

More than a dozen aviation groups warned U.S. House leaders that short-term extensions hinders the FAA and creates uncertainty.

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

Amy Wilder

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

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.

Rule would not apply to insulin-treated diabetes

FAA Proposes Easing Medical Approvals for Diabetic Pilots

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.

Move averts potential shutdown

Congress OKs Stopgap Government Funding Measure

Jessica Reed

His career spanned more than five and a half decades

Longtime Bizav Attorney Gary Garofalo Flies West

Curt Epstein

The revision relaxes some provisions of the Corporate Transparency Act

New Treasury Rule Limits LLC Information Reporting

Kassebaum pushed through the General Aviation Revitalization Act

Nancy Kassebaum, Architect of GA Product Liability Reform, Dies

Gordon Gilbert

Increased fees are to recover pandemic shortfall

Nav Canada Increases ATC Service Charges 

Larger new bizav aircraft face 2027 deadline, while small new turbine bizav aircraft have 2029 deadline

FAA InFO Outlines CVR Upgrade Deadlines

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

More In Regulations and Government