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.
FAA has finalized a rule codifying that its long-standing “sterile cockpit” mandate applies to pilots using personal electronic devices (PEDs) for anything not directly related to operating aircraft—at least for Part 121 operators. The rule, set for publication Wednesday and effective in 60 days, leans heavily on the agency’s 1981 sterile cockpit rule. The changes add a paragraph to Part 121 specifying that PEDs are not permitted and defining the term “PED.”
American Airlines Group (AAG) is sticking with first quarter guidance that has it boosting passenger revenue per available seat mile (PRASM) 2% to 4% in the period after boosting revenue passenger miles (RPMs) 3.8% in January on a 2.3% increase in available seat miles (ASMs). Reporting the combined American Airlines and US Airways operational results, the carrier saw a 2.9% boost in domestic RPMs and a 6.7% increase in international RPMs. The mainline network flew 4.2% more RPMs, while the regionals combined to drop 0.1%.
Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, already one of the more expensive airports in its class for airlines, will see passenger enplanement costs skyrocket if planned cutbacks by United Airlines aren’t mitigated with new service or other non-airline revenue. United has announced plans to cut nearly 60% of its Cleveland departures by mid-year (DAILY, Feb. 4), and one immediate result will be higher costs for all operators.
