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.
Boeing could be on the hook for $67.7 million in materials costs following an FAA airworthiness directive calling for fixes to 757 trailing-edge flaps. FAA's rule (Airworthiness Directive AD 2000-04-18), modeled after a 1998 Boeing service bulletin that was revised last year, called for replacement or modification of trailing-edge flaps on about 500 U.S.-registered 757s. Materials costs were estimated at $85,014 per aircraft for the fix. A Boeing spokesperson confirmed the manufacturer would supply the materials.
Washington's re-work of the MD-11 electrical system, kicked off as the probe into the crash of Swissair flight 111 deepened, has continued this year with 16 rules or proposals by early March. More moves could be on the way if a pending report from Swissair gets attention from regulators.
FAA's recent policy statement on limited 207-min. extended range twin-engine operations (ETOPS) for certain U.S. carriers might seem like an operations-only issue on the surface, but buried within the document are some points that should get the attention of maintenance planners and suppliers.
