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.
The FAA’s decade-long effort to mandate safety management systems (SMS) for U.S. commercial airports took a step forward Aug. 24 with the opening of an additional comment period on a draft proposal issued in 2016.
Delta Air Lines’ decision to up its Airbus A321neo order book by 30 aircraft reflects a larger trend among U.S. carriers that are working to ensure they have optimal fleet flexibility to drive cost and efficiency advantages as the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic could turn more uncertain.