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.
Despite concerns from airline management over how the audit data will be interpreted by the public, FAA plans to release details of special investigations done during the summer but will give carriers at least a month to comment before releasing the full reports. In the meantime, the agency plans to make good on its original promise to release a summary report on the findings, possibly as early as this week, sources familiar with the matter said.
FAA has given operators of U.S.-registered jets with Pratt&Whitney JT8D engines a choice on how to do mandatory fuel pump component swaps, offering a traditional inspect-now/replace-later approach as well as an accelerated program that would cut down on unexpected maintenance.
Boeing is putting a three-phase plan in place to address significant concerns turned up in a non-routine FAA audit completed earlier this year that found the manufacturer's production facilities lax on following approved procedures.
