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.
Seeking guidance on FAA's planned implementation of safety management systems (SMS) for repair stations? The wait for something official -- in draft form, at least -- shouldn't be long. As this issue of O&M went to press, FAA's Flight Standards service was putting the finishing touches on a draft version of a Part 145-series advisory circular (AC) entitled "Introduction to Safety Management Systems for Maintenance Organizations."
Airbus, seeking to pump more value into its MRO network, will create an executive board to work on specific issues highlighted by its customers and has developed tools to help operators do their own maintenance training -- and potentially train others. Details on the initiatives, unveiled Thursday at Aviation Week's MRO conference in Atlanta, are still being finalized, said Airbus Senior Director-MRO Support Management Wolfgang Kortas. The advisory board announcement is expected next week.
Standard Aero, a long-time independent provider of Honeywell auxiliary power unit services, has signed a service center agreement with the manufacturer, the companies said Wednesday. The deal designates Standard Aero as an official repair and overhaul provider for Honeywell GTCP36-100/150s and RE220s. As part of the agreement, Winnipeg-based Standard Aero will stop using Parts Manufacturer Approval parts in the APU models covered and will share its reliability data with Honeywell in a joint effort to boost the APUs' performance.
