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 House aviation subcommittee on Thursday ratcheted up the pressure on the Senate to move on a long-term FAA reauthorization bill, holding a hearing on the consequences of delaying action.
“It is absolutely critical that the United States Senate move forward to pass this reauthorization. Without a full reauthorization of the FAA, safety is at risk, and American leadership in aviation technology and innovation is at risk,” maintained aviation subcommittee Chair Garret Graves (R-Louisiana). “This agency cannot continue to remain in limbo on a number of key issues that require decisions, law changes, and organizational reforms. I cannot emphasize enough the importance of moving this bill forward, especially where safety is concerned.”
This contention was backed by General Aviation Manufacturers Association president and CEO Pete Bunce, who cited a “critical need” to finish the bill. “I've been doing this job at GAMA now for 19 years, and I've never seen a time that is more important for us to get the FAA reauthorized and address some of the critical issues.”
He pointed to “daunting” challenges in front of newly confirmed FAA Administrator Michael Whitaker and said he needs to be able to focus on safety, workforce, and other priorities without the disruptions of continuing extensions and potential shutdowns.
The House bill addresses key issues such as FAA staff training and the regulatory process, which is threatening progress of new technologies, as well as controller hiring, Bunce further noted.
Among others testifying was Rich Santa, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, who added, “The single most important action Congress can take for the safety of the NAS [national airspace system] would be to pass a long-term, comprehensive FAA reauthorization bill into law before the end of the year.” Under the House bill, he added, “Congress will finally get a complete and accurate picture of the FAA’s controller staffing needs.”
The House last July <a href="https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/air-transport/2023-07-21/faa-reauthorization-bill-clears-house-strong-support">passed</a> its version of a comprehensive FAA reauthorization bill, but the Senate Commerce Committee had scrapped consideration of its own version after last-minute disputes cropped up over the so-called 1,500-hour rule for airline pilots as well as available slots at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
Unable to complete the bill in time for the September 30 expiration of the previous long-term authorization, the House and Senate passed <a href="https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/air-transport/2023-10-02/extensions-passed-washington-faces-new-deadlines">a short-term extension</a> of the FAA’s current authorization to the end of the year. Commerce Committee Chair Maria Cantwell (D-Washington) has expressed a desire to push through the bill, noting her hope in October that having an FAA administrator in place “will also help us move quickly to resolve the FAA reauthorization issues and get that authorization before both bodies before the end of the year.”
The path forward is still unclear, with the committee saying it is “still working” it. Lawmakers on the House side, however, expressed frustration, with Rep. Rick Larsen (D-Washington), the ranking member of the full House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, questioning offhand whether anyone has “insight on what the Senate is doing.”
In tandem with the hearing, several other business and general aviation groups issued a joint statement urging passage of a long-term bill. “As we have seen in the past, short-term extensions challenge the certainty that industry and the FAA depend on to enable long-term planning and investment in many critical areas required to ensure the safety of the NAS and America’s global leadership in aviation,” the statement said.
Separately, the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) sent a letter to Senate leaders calling for action. AIA president and CEO Eric Fanning said passage “is vital as our industry seeks to attract the next generation of talent for high-paying, highly skilled jobs” and will “improve enforcement of bilateral aviation safety agreements, ensuring we can continue to compete on the world stage.”
Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Sam Graves (R-Missouri) in November also wrote <a href="https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/air-transport/2023-11-17/other-voices-its-time-add-uss-rich-aviation-history">an opinion piece</a> for&nbsp;AIN calling for Senate action.

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