Sean Broderick covers aviation safety, MRO, and the hardware side of the airline business from Aviation Week Network's Washington, D.C. office.
Broderick's aviation career started in 1991, working for Airbus in Toulouse. His industry experience includes four years with an aviation consultancy, where he helped launch a U.S. Part 121 carrier; 12 years with the American Association of Airport Executives, where he served as editor of Airport Magazine; and 20 years in full- and part-time roles with Aviation Week writing primarily about safety and the aftermarket.
Broderick was named the 2020 Aerospace Journalist of the Year by the Aerospace Media Awards. He also shared in a 2020 Neal Award for Best News Coverage with Aviation Week Network colleagues. Broderick and Aviation Week colleague John Croft shared the 2015 Flight Safety International Cecil A. Brownlow Publication Award recognizing "significant contributions by journalists to aviation safety awareness."
He graduated from James Madison University with a B.S. in Communications ('91) and earned an M.S. in Integrated Marketing Communications ('13) from West Virginia University.
While comments in the U.S. Transportation Department (DOT) public docket focus on the legality of Norwegian Air International’s (NAI) creative—and some contend illegal—business strategy, the debate over the carrier’s application extends far beyond what one airline may be permitted to do under applicable treaties and laws. NAI, a subsidiary of Norwegian Air Shuttle, set up its headquarters in Ireland at least in part to bypass some Norwegian labor laws (DAILY, Feb. 19).
Rising airline demand for both leased aircraft and surplus parts — trends not necessarily welcomed by parts manufacturer approval (PMA) holders — may be exposing opportunities for some PMA specialists, executives from a leading independent parts supplier suggest.
The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) is calling attention to revised maintenance instructions designed to prevent improper modifications of Airbus A330 and A340 hydraulic pump motor connectors. The issue came to light in 2009, when operators discovered internal arcing in connectors, later traced to fluid ingress. Airbus developed a modification for the connectors, and EASA mandated the fix in May 2010.
