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

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Leonardo marked the opening of EBACE 2025 with an order for three more AW109 Trekkers from its long-time distributor for the UK and Ireland, Sloane Helicopters, as the Northampton-based company eyes potentially reaching its 109th sale this week of the light-twin helicopter. At the same time, Sloane and Leonardo celebrated the 30-year milestone of their partnership.
Slated for delivery in 2027, the booking for three VIP-configured helicopters comes in addition to the five AW109 GrandNews that Sloane ordered during the recent Verticon in March in Dallas. Under the Sloane partnership, more than 100 Leonardo commercial helicopters have been delivered to operators in the UK and Ireland.
George George, managing director of Sloane, said his firm has already sold 108 AW109s and anticipates reaching 109 by the end of the week. Sloane also sells the AW169 light intermediate twin helicopter and has become a distributor for the AW09 light single, with nine of those on order as the aircraft awaits EASA certification and subsequently UK CAA validation.
In addition, Sloane is an authorized service center for AW109 GrandNew and AW169 helicopters and serves as a type-rating center.
While the AW109 has been its dominant seller, George said he’s seen interest increasing with the AW169, particularly with the number of power performance upgrades that have reached maturity. “The AW169 is carving out a niche for VIP customers, and we've got a couple of people, one who bought 12 years ago, [reporting] 96% availability for VIP,” he said.&nbsp;
George was encouraged by the strong interest in the VIP market, but also sells to the EMS sector.&nbsp;Leonardo added that the partnership was particularly reinforced since the relaunch of the Agusta VIP brand in late 2021.
“It was May 1995 when this incredible journey started,” said Jacopo Borghi, v-p of sales in Europe for Leonardo Helicopters, of the partnership with Sloane. “That benchmark of a partnership is quite unique in the industry.”
He added that its inroads in the UK and Ireland market are “not just about helicopters. It's about building a relationship with the customer, the proximity, and the support, and the skills that the fantastic Sloane team has been able to deliver to the market.”
Leonardo and Sloane are further discussing the next extension of the partnership.

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Sloane Helicopters placed an order for three more AW109 Trekkers as it eyes the sale of its 109th of the light twin this week.

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