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

Steve Dickson’s nomination to the FAA administrator post apparently has hit a stumbling block as the Senate Commerce Committee reviews reports regarding a legal complaint&nbsp;alleging moves on the part of Delta Air Lines management to retaliate against a pilot whistleblower who brought safety concerns to light. The moves allegedly&nbsp;took place while Dickson was senior v-p of flight operations for Delta.

 


“Since holding the nomination hearing with Mr. Dickson, new information has come to the committee’s attention that merits further examination. The committee has been reviewing this information and I have asked the Department of Transportation and the White House to do the same,” said Roger Wicker (R-Mississippi), chairman of the Commerce Committee that has jurisdiction over the nomination.

 


The committee had not been aware of the complaint before holding a confirmation hearing last month and Dickson apparently did not report the legal action on the requisite confirmation questionnaire. Dickson is said to be fully cooperating with the committee&nbsp;but has kept quiet publicly. There is no timeline for the review by the committee but it is not anticipated to be lengthy.

 


However, outside industry groups wonder that even if Dickson is able to satisfy questions, the nomination may now be in danger of becoming mired in politics, particularly since the FAA is under intense scrutiny following the crashes of the 737 Max and the legal complaint involved reported safety concerns.

 


The complaint alleges that a pilot who raised safety questions to airline leadership was subsequently ordered to undergo a psychiatric evaluation that ultimately led to the loss of pilot privileges.&nbsp;Two subsequent evaluations disagreed with the initial evaluations and the pilot returned to duty. The complaint was filed against Delta Airlines, but it mentions Dickson’s involvement in receiving the safety concerns.

 


The White House announced its intention to nominate Dickson to the post in March, and the nomination initially had received rare support from nearly all corners of the industry.

Dickson's FAA Admin Nomination Comes Under Question

The Commerce Committee is reviewing a  legal complaint alleging moves on the part of Delta Air Lines management to retaliate against a pilot whistleblower.

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