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

Billy Nolen, who stepped into the role of acting FAA administrator<a href="https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2022-03-28/faa-safety-chief-nolen-become-acting-administrator"> in April 2022</a> just months after he joined the agency, has announced he will be stepping down.&nbsp;Nolen initially joined the FAA at the beginning of 2022 to serve as <a href="https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/general-aviation/2021-12-21/billy-nolen-head-faas-safety-org">associate administrator for aviation safety</a> but took over the acting role after former FAA Administrator Steve Dickson left halfway through his five-year term.
Nolen informed the agency today of his decision to leave saying, “I will depart as a new nominee [for FAA Administrator] is named this summer.” Similar to Dickson’s reason for departing, he said, “I have given everything to this agency, and now it’s time to do the same for my family, who have sacrificed so much and supported me during my time at the FAA.”
Nolen brought a more than 30-year aviation career with him to the agency, having served in operations, regulatory, and corporate roles with airlines and with Airlines for America. During his short tenure with the FAA, the agency faced intense scrutiny as the airlines struggled to emerge from the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and as a number of close safety calls became widely reported in recent months.
At the same time Nolen had earned respect on Capitol Hill, with Senate Commerce Committee ranking Republican Ted Cruz (R-Texas) suggesting that he would face an easy confirmation should the White House nominate him for the administrator’s role on a permanent basis.&nbsp;But&nbsp;Nolen had a front-row seat as Biden’s initial selection for the role, Phil Washington, faced such a contentious process that he ultimately <a href="https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/air-transport/2023-03-26/phil-washington-withdraws-faa-administrator-consideration">withdrew</a> his name for consideration.
 For his part, Nolen highlighted the accomplishments over the past year, including that certification reform is nearly complete and proposals for safety management systems advanced.
“Not since the dawn of the jet age have we seen so many advances and changes in aerospace,” he told his agency colleagues in a letter.&nbsp;“Our mission to provide the safest aerospace system in the world requires us to adapt, learn, and innovate…to think differently. I encourage all of you to be safety innovators, and to keep challenging yesterday’s assumptions.”
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg responded to the decision, calling Nolen “a tremendous leader, a true expert, and a dedicated public servant.” He added Nolen has been “a great asset” to the Department of Transportation and would continue to be as the FAA prepares for an upcoming leadership transition.
Business aviation leaders, meanwhile, lauded Nolen’s service. “Billy Nolen has stepped in and provided essential leadership at a critical time for our industry,” said NBAA president and CEO Ed Bolen, calling him&nbsp;an effective collaborator, one that remained accessible and focused on safety.
National Air Transportation Association president Curt Castagna echoed those sentiments. “Nolen’s unwavering commitment to continuous safety improvement, meaningful industry collaboration, and workforce recruitment fit for the future has served us all well and sets a solid foundation for those who will follow.”
On Capitol Hill, leaders on both sides of the aisle further praised Nolen’s efforts but stressed this underscores the need to get a permanent administrator in place.
“Acting Administrator Billy Nolen has performed admirably under difficult circumstances at a time when the FAA is dealing with a number of vacancies in top positions of leadership, including the position of Administrator,” said House Transportation and Infrastructure (T&amp;I) Committee chairman Sam Graves (R-Missouri). Like Cruz, Graves said, “I believe he proved that he would have made a capable Administrator had he been nominated and confirmed.”&nbsp; However, Graves added Nolen’s decision to depart should “be a wakeup call for the President and his administration to fill the FAA’s ever-increasing leadership vacuum with highly qualified people without any further delay.”
Rep. Rick Larsen (D-Washington), the ranking Democrat on the House T&amp;I Committee, further said Nolen has “served admirably” in both his roles at the FAA but added, “The FAA Administrator position is an important one for the aviation safety of the flying public, and we need a Senate-confirmed leader in place as soon as possible.”

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.

FAA Acting Administrator Billy Nolen To Depart Agency

Citing a desire to spend more time with family, FAA acting Administrator Billy Nolen said he would leave the agency when a permanent nominee is named.

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

Charles Alcock

Kaleyesus Bekele

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

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.

Industry group presses for regulatory progress and continuity across the continent 

African Bizav Strives for Greater Market Opportunity

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.

More In Regulations and Government

African Bizav Strives for Greater Market Opportunity

Industry group presses for regulatory progress and continuity across the continent

FAA Proposes Easing Medical Approvals for Diabetic Pilots

Rule would not apply to insulin-treated diabetes

Congress OKs Stopgap Government Funding Measure

Move averts potential shutdown

Longtime Bizav Attorney Gary Garofalo Flies West

His career spanned more than five and a half decades

New Treasury Rule Limits LLC Information Reporting

The revision relaxes some provisions of the Corporate Transparency Act

Nancy Kassebaum, Architect of GA Product Liability Reform, Dies

Kassebaum pushed through the General Aviation Revitalization Act

Nav Canada Increases ATC Service Charges

Increased fees are to recover pandemic shortfall

FAA InFO Outlines CVR Upgrade Deadlines

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

AIN Products

SUBSCRIPTIONS

RESOURCES

ABOUT AIN