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.
An Atlanta-based aircraft-modifications specialist is close to earning FAA approval for Boeing 737NG and Airbus A320 flammability reduction systems, to would give operators an alternative to inerting systems offered as part of a push to meet an FAA mandate.
The FAA has mandated Boeing-recommended steps to inspect and, if needed, replace thrust reverser inner walls on Rolls Royce Trent 800s engines to prevent thermal damage that, in the worst cases, led to two inflight diversions.
