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

Read the latest news about Archer Aviation. 

Read the latest news about Beta Technologies.

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) rolled out its highly anticipated advanced air mobility (AAM) integration program on March 9, announcing the selection of eight projects that will include trials throughout the country with several major AAM developers.
Unveiled in June as part of the “Unleashing American Drone Dominance” executive order, the eVTOL Integration Pilot Program (eIPP) is intended to set the foundation for the safe operation of electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft and other AAM vehicles in the National Airspace System. It comes as several electric and hybrid-electric aircraft developers approach FAA type certification and get ready to launch operations.
According to the DOT, the program “will create one of the largest real-world testing environments for next-generation aircraft in the world.” Data from the trials will be used to develop regulations to enable the scale of these operations. The projects are expected to kick off in the upcoming months.
In all, the eight projects will span 26 states and cover a range of operations, including urban air taxi, regional passenger transportation, cargo and logistics, emergency medical response, autonomous flight technologies, and offshore and energy transport.
Maintaining that these operations will dramatically improve transportation, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said, “Working together, we will ensure America leads the way in safely leveraging next-gen aircraft to radically redefine personal travel, regional transportation, cargo logistics, emergency medicine, and so much more.”
FAA Deputy Administrator Chris Rocheleau further noted that the projects will provide a better understanding of how to safely and efficiently integrate the aircraft into the NAS. “The program will provide valuable operational experience that will inform the standards needed to enable safe advanced air mobility operations.”
Among the eIPP partners, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey will work with Archer, Beta, Electra, and Joby on 12 different operational concepts in New England, including electric air taxi operations at the Manhattan heliport.
Another partner, the Texas Department of Transportation, will test regional flights involving air taxi networks connecting Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, and, eventually, Houston. Archer, Beta, Joby, and Wisk will participate.
In the Pacific Northwest, the Rocky Mountains, and the Oklahoma plains, the Utah Department of Transportation will trial a range of aircraft and operational concepts involving Ampaire, Beta, Joby, and other AAM developers.
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation will work through the NASAO AAM Multistate Collaborative to trial regional flights across 13 states in support of the Essential Air Service program with Beta, Electra, and others.
Louisiana will participate in operational tests conducted over the Gulf and at energy industry locations in Louisiana, Texas, and Mississippi. This will involve Beta, Elroy Air, and others.
The Florida Department of Transportation will work with multiple industry partners in phases of operations focused on cargo delivery, passenger transportation, automation, and medical response. Archer, Beta, Electra, and Joby, among others, are on tap for these operations.
Exploring medical and regional operations will be the North Carolina Department of Transportation, which will also test autonomous flights extending into Virginia. The state will work with Beta and Joby, among others.
Albuquerque is trialing a project to advance autonomous operations in concert with flight automation specialist Reliable Robotics.
These eight projects were selected from more than 30 proposals. The DOT said they were selected based on their ability to accelerate AAM integration, the breadth of concepts proposed, and their potential for regulatory and policy insights.

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.

U.S. DOT Selects Eight Projects for eVTOL Integration Pilot Program

Archer, Wisk, Beta, Joby, and others to take part in nationwide trials

The DOT selected eight projects covering a broad swath of the country for integration trials involving a range of AAM manufacturers and types of operations.

DOT Selects Eight Projects for AAM Integration Trials

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.

Verticon 2026

In this article

Ampaire

Archer Aviation

Beta Technologies

Electra

Elroy Air

Joby Aviation

Reliable Robotics

Wisk Aero

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