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 sharp decline and expected short-term stability in jet fuel prices have prompted carriers to re-examine the use of less fuel-efficient aircraft to satisfy near-term demand, but the trend is not triggering shifts in long-term fleet planning. While carriers like Delta Air Lines and Southwest Airlines have long leveraged the used-aircraft market to add capacity while minimizing capital costs, the trend is showing signs of expanding. A 25% drop in jet fuel prices since mid-summer—to about $100 per barrel, a four-year low—may explain why.
