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. Department of Transportation (DOT) and FAA officials met with industry stakeholders this week as they shape their plans for moving expeditiously forward with a modernized air traffic control system. The FAA has issued a request for information on a potential integrator to play a central role in that modernization effort, with a contract award anticipated by the end of September.
Modernization of the system and a ramped-up air traffic control hiring process have become urgent priorities at both the FAA and DOT, and lawmakers in both the House and Senate have proposed an additional $12.5 billion to be set aside for those efforts. While the funding has been included in each chamber’s Republican-led budget reconciliation bill, it has universal support from both sides of the aisle on Capitol Hill.
“We have an antiquated air traffic control system that is showing its age,” said Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, adding that to execute their plans, “We need the technical expertise and management experience from the best innovators in the world.”
Plans call for replacing the current system, the DOT said. This includes the core infrastructure encompassing radar, software, hardware, and telecommunications networks, with the integrator managing the acquisition and deployment of the new technologies.
As a first step, leaders gathered this week to discuss innovative ideas, new technologies, and new procurement strategies.
“This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for a new, world-class air traffic system,” said acting FAA Administrator Chris Rocheleau. “We need world-class innovators to step up and tell us the best way to build it.”
NBAA, among the participants, praised the gathering. Association president and CEO Ed Bolen noted that unique circumstances have heightened the calls for this effort. “People sometimes ask, ‘What’s different this time?’” Bolen said. “They recall that the aviation community has previously held up ATC transformation as a priority, requiring a big investment. The answer is, we have witnessed a series of tragic accidents and troubling incidents that have focused not just the aviation community on transformation, but the White House, DOT, FAA, and the American public on the urgency of this matter as never before.”
Bolen noted that the FAA has the authority to move forward with an expedited acquisition process, but has not fully used that in a way that would be required for a project of this scale at an expedited timeline.
“To move forward on transformation with urgency will require new thinking on processes and milestones, with input from all end-users,” Bolen said. “This gathering marks a powerful step forward for building a brand-new air traffic control system.”
Bolen added that past shortfalls in the implementation of new technologies have a broad reach from small community airports to outages such as those recently in the Northeast.
“The delays and safety concerns caused by aging technology make clear that system transformation is no longer an option—it’s an absolute ‘must do’ if we are going to continue to efficiently and safely manage operations today, and in the decades to come,” he said.
Some of the initiatives discussed included an enterprise challenge, targeted investment for upgrades, and a service model for technology developers to commit to continual upgrades over their service contracts.

News, issues, personnel, equipment and developments about air traffic management.

DOT Meets with Stakeholders To Map Out ATC Modernization

FAA has issued a request for information on potential modernization integrator

NBAA praised a government/industry gathering this week that was a first step toward mapping out a plan for ATC modernization.

DOT Meets with Stakeholders To Map Out Modernization

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

Curt Epstein

New developments at airports including regulations and noise issues; legal disputes; openings, acquisitions and mergers.

News and issues relating to the aerospace industry that are related to the science, engineering and business of flight in space involving civil, industrial and military applications, and similar topics related to flight in the atmosphere of the Earth that are not covered more directly by other AINonline subject channels. In other words, both astronautical and aeronautical subjects, except for those aeronautical topics that are specifically covered elsewhere on this website.

The project wrapped two weeks early after 24/7 effort

Conclusion of KEWR Runway Rehab Could Ease Traffic Woes

Charles Alcock

News about environmental issues relating to aircraft operations, including noise issues, emissisions, and regulations. See Fuel for biofuel.

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.

Aircraft operators will be charged a new fee to support the work

Redesign of UK Airspace Will Start with London Airports

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.

Bolen said system needs addition $18.5 billion over three years

ATC Modernization Becomes Urgent Focus of FAA Reauthorization

Amy Wilder

News and information on safety procedures and concerns.

Predictive engine designed to support tower situational awareness

NoamAI Launches Artificial Intelligence ATC Assistant

Hanneke Weitering

News and issues relating to civil and military unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) of all kinds and sizes, including those used for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), combat (unmanned combat air vehicles, or UCAVs), law enforcement, research and other applications. Of particular focus is the FAA's planned integration of UAS into the U.S. national airspace system.

More In ATC

Conclusion of KEWR Runway Rehab Could Ease Traffic Woes

The project wrapped two weeks early after 24/7 effort

Redesign of UK Airspace Will Start with London Airports

Aircraft operators will be charged a new fee to support the work

ATC Modernization Becomes Urgent Focus of FAA Reauthorization

Bolen said system needs addition $18.5 billion over three years

NoamAI Launches Artificial Intelligence ATC Assistant

Predictive engine designed to support tower situational awareness

EASA Certifies First U-space ATM Service Provider For Uncrewed Aircraft

Anra Technologies is ready to launch U-space services across Europe

FAA: Newark ATC Failures Prompt Controller Trauma Leave

Agency reiterates need for tech upgrades after Newark failures

New FAA-NATCA Deal Adds Bonuses To Bolster ATC Ranks

NATCA calls new pact “a meaningful step” toward solving controller shortage

WWII-era North Atlantic Blue Spruce Routes Removed

Blue Spruce involved airspace between Iceland and Greenland

AIN Products

SUBSCRIPTIONS

RESOURCES

ABOUT AIN