Code of Ethics

Members of the AIAA uphold the highest standards of ethical conduct and hereby agree to:

1. Hold paramount the safety, health, and welfare of the public in the performance of their duties;
2. Promote the lawful and ethical interests of AIAA and the aerospace profession;
3. Reject bribery, fraud, and corruption in all their forms;
4. Properly credit the contributions of others, accept and offer honest and constructive criticism of technical work; and acknowledge and correct errors;
5. Avoid harming others, their property, their reputations or their employment through false or malicious statements or through unlawful or otherwise wrongful acts;
6. Treat all persons with respect, fairness, and dignity, and never engage in any form of harassment or inappropriate discrimination.
7. Issue statements or present information in an objective and truthful manner, based on available data;
8. Avoid real and perceived conflicts of interest, and act as honest and fair agents in all professional interactions;
9. Undertake only those tasks for which we are qualified by training or experience, or for which we can reasonably become qualified with proper preparation, education, and training;
10. Maintain and improve our technical and professional competencies throughout our careers and provide opportunities for the professional development of those engineers under our supervision;
11. Treat fairly and respectfully all colleagues and co-workers, recognizing their unique contributions and capabilities.

Updated 8 June 2023 | Adopted 9 May 2013.
See Guidelines to Practice under the AIAA Code of Ethics for additional detail.

Recommendations, Criticisms, and Questions (Updated 2 March 2015)
Any AIAA member or non-member may submit a written, recommendation, criticism, or question. These may be submitted to Emily Springer, AIAA Ethics Committee Liaison, to the address or email below.

Reporting Ethical Misconduct
All AIAA members should report observed, suspected, or apparent ethical misconduct in accordance with the Code of Ethics and the Ethics Committee procedures. If an individual is unsure whether a suspected incident falls within the definition of ethical misconduct, he or she may contact the Ethics Committee (EC) Staff Liaison for clarification.

All allegations of ethical misconduct shall be addressed in writing to the Chair of the AIAA Ethics Committee. The complaint shall specify the section of the AIAA Code of Ethics that is alleged to have been violated. It shall state the facts of the alleged violation and provide any available evidence in support of the allegations. These may be submitted either by email to Emily Springer, AIAA Ethics Committee Liaison: emilys@aiaa.org, or submitted by mail to:

These complaints shall be recorded as being received, acknowledged, and forwarded to the current Chair of the AIAA Ethics Committee for consideration. All communications shall be kept confidential.

For matters related to harassment or discrimination, please reference the Anti-Harassment Policy for AIAA Members and Event Attendees.