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 FAA took the next step in its <a href="https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/air-transport/2026-05-22/faa-eying-ai-machine-learning-optimize-airspace-scheduling">efforts to ease</a> airspace congestion, rolling out the Strategic Management of Airspace, Routes, and Trajectories (SMART) tool that centralizes operations and weather, controller staffing, and flight data into a single platform. SMART uses AI to synthesize 200 data streams to provide a full picture of where aircraft are going, how much the system can handle, and whether congestion or weather could create problems, according to the agency.
With SMART, air traffic managers and other specialists have a better understanding of potential pinch points and can recommend changes to ward them off. The FAA anticipates the tool will result in fewer delays and cancellations, optimized airspace, more predictable operations, and, ultimately, lower airline ticket prices.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy noted the agency’s progress on modernizing the air traffic control system. “But to really improve the flying experience for the American people, we needed to build a 21st-century scheduling tool like SMART,” he said. “By fundamentally reshaping how we manage our airspace and preventing problems before they happen, SMART will slash those frustrating delays, reduce stress on air traffic controllers, and lower travel prices.”
The FAA has begun using the tool on a limited basis around Washington, D.C., and plans to gradually expand it to other parts of the country. Air Space Intelligence was contracted to help build an air traffic center that would facilitate the rollout of SMART over the next few months.
CEOs from United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and Southwest Airlines, along with Airlines for America, all endorsed the tool in concert with the FAA announcement.

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

FAA Gets SMART To Improve Airspace Congestion

Tool will help predict where pinch points in the National Airspace System may arise

The FAA is gradually implementing a new AI-based tool to have a full picture of scheduled flights to be able to predict where pinch points may arise.

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.

Solace is providing Enhanced SWIM Cloud Services 

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Curt Epstein

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Charles Alcock

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

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KDCA and KEWR receive SMR-4 installations, while IDIQ AT&T covers coms

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Hanneke Weitering

Issues regarding financing of aircraft; aviation insurance; tax issues for aircraft operators; new companies and people in the aviation financing and insurance industries.

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.

Milestone covers the software that talks to air traffic control

Merlin Clears a Certification Hurdle for AI in the Cockpit

Charlotte Bailey

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.

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