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

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) is launching an investigation into the FAA’s communication of spectrum use. The One Big Beautiful Bill passed in July directed the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to auction government-owned spectrum to the private sector.
“While such auctions can raise billions of dollars and advance innovation, they reduce the spectrum available for aviation and may increase the risk of interference to safety-critical systems,” the OIG said, noting that the FAA is the manager and largest direct user of the spectrum within the DOT. This includes different frequency bands for air traffic control systems, mobile phones, and other complex communication networks.
While calling for the sale, Congress last year in the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 asked for the DOT OIG to on FAA's processes for communicating the position of civil aviation operators and the safety of the National Airspace System (NAS) to NTIA when the latter agency considers spectrum reallocations and decisions. To kick off this month, the audit will look into the FAA’s communications with NTIA on safety risks surrounding spectrum reallocations.
The more recent directive calling for the auction of spectrum has raised concerns from key Democrats, including the ranking member of the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee, Maria Cantwell (Washington), who reminded Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy of the problems created by the last spectrum reallocation.
“The FAA was forced to issue emergency airworthiness directives, institute flight restrictions around airports nationwide, and nearly ground all commercial flights across the country,” she wrote to Duffy. &nbsp;“Because the safety and effectiveness of the National Airspace System depends on the FAA managing radar, navigation, and safety-critical systems on airplanes, decisions to repurpose federal spectrum must be taken only after the department, the FAA, and industry have validated that any transition can proceed without jeopardizing aviation safety.”

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

DOT Watchdog To Probe FAA's Spectrum Safety Communications

Big Beautiful Bill calls for spectrum reallocation

The DOT Inspector General is looking into the FAA's processes of conveying safety concerns of spectrum reallocation to the NTIA.

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

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.

FAA moved air traffic responsibilities from New York to Philadelphia before outages

DOT Watchdog To Probe Shift of Newark ATC Management

Duffy says FAA needs $31.5 billion to completely upgrade ATC

DOT Chief Continues Push for More ATC Funding

Lawmakers and aviation leaders aligned on ATC modernization

Aviation Stakeholders Eye Funding Needs for ATC Overhaul

Charles Alcock

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

News about simulators and training procedures, as well as workforce.

Aviation safety agency ordered cancellation of at least 40% of flights

French Controllers Strike Disrupts Traffic at Multiple Airports

FAA has issued a request for information on potential modernization integrator

DOT Meets with Stakeholders To Map Out Modernization

Curt Epstein

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

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

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.

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