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.
Clamps improperly installed during maintenance visits have been tied to at least three serious in-service fire and smoke incidents on Boeing 737 Classics, prompting the FAA to warn operators and encourage compliance with a Boeing-suggested fix. The FAA’s Safety Alert for Operators, approved earlier this month and released this week, says that 279 737 Classics inspected in 2010-2012 turned up 71 incidents of improperly oriented flight deck ceiling/side panel gasper air duct hose thumb clamps.
Mainline carrier mergers have led to shrinking or disappearing hubs. Rising fuel costs have sucked the profitability out of the 50-seat regional jet markets. The rapid increase in passenger count of the last 15 years is over. In short: The U.S. regional airline industry has to look outward for new opportunities to grow.
The FAA’s repair station oversight process lacks the ability to identify risk, does not provide enough standardized inspection procedures, and is not training inspectors well enough to ensure they can use the tools they have, a government audit concludes.
