Registration Link

https://forms.office.com/r/jkwngbAhvp

Abstract

This seminar introduces the fundamentals of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its transforming role in shaping the future of aviation and aerospace. The session will began by outlining the core concepts of AI, including machine learning, natural language processing, and computer vision, and generative AI, to establish a clear foundation for understanding its capabilities. Building on these fundamentals, the main application areas will be explored where AI is creating impact: predictive maintenance, flight operations optimization, crew and workforce planning, passenger experience enhancement, air traffic management, and aerospace design. Each area highlights how AI can improve safety, efficiency, and decision-making within highly complex environments.

The session then dives into Dr. Cankaya’s selected case studies, which illustrate AI in action—from flight risk inference decision support systems and optimizing crew planning to improving airport operations and mapping passenger emotional journey, and enabling more innovative aerospace design systems for aircraft design or wildlife strikes prevention. These real-world examples demonstrate the opportunities and challenges of AI adoption, providing a balanced perspective on how the technology is transforming aviation and aerospace today.

Speaker’s Biography

Dr. Burak Cankaya is an Associate Professor at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and a Fulbright Specialist at Bangladesh Maritime University. He holds a Doctoral degree in Industrial Engineering from Lamar University, an M.S. in Technology Project Management from the University of Houston, and a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Karadeniz Technical University. Prior to academia, he worked as a Senior Operations Research Analyst at NetJets, a Berkshire Hathaway company, with additional experience in the transportation and energy sectors. His research and teaching focus on analytics, AI entrepreneurship, operations research, and data science. Dr. Cankaya has received funding from Google, the U.S. Department of Transportation, and ERAU, and was awarded the 2025 Academic Innovation Research Faculty Fellowship. He was named ERAU’s College of Business Faculty of the Year (2022) and Textbook Champion for Open Education (2023). As a lead architect of ERAU’s B.S. in Business Analytics, he is passionate about empowering future leaders of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. He is a wildlife conservationist and photographer and loves responsible fishing and hunting.