2020 AIAA AVIATION Forum Held 15–19 June Written 3 June 2020

NASA’s Bridenstine Among Notable Speakers at AIAA’s First Fully Virtual Forum

June 3, 2020 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics is holding its first fully virtual forum, the 2020 AIAA AVIATION Forum, 15–19 June.

“This year, more than most, the AIAA AVIATION Forum has a crucial role to play in advancing the aerospace industry during the coronavirus pandemic,” said Dan Dumbacher, AIAA executive director. “Technical advancements are at the core of building the foundation for the recovery to come. AIAA AVIATION is the place where ideas and concepts are challenged and defended. The forum brings together leaders from government, industry, and academia to discuss the challenges and opportunities facing the aviation industry today.”

Dumbacher noted, “the all-virtual format of this year’s event has opened up the conversation to more people. We’re looking forward to a thought-provoking forum with notable speakers, including NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine and Teal Group’s Richard Aboulafia, whose keynote is ‘COVID-19 And Civil Aviation Markets: A Bit Like Falling Off A Cliff, Only Without the Nice View.’”

The program’s roster of speakers includes:

• Monday, 15 June: Walt Odisho, VP and general manager, Manufacturing, Safety & Quality, 737 Program and Renton Site, Boeing Commercial Airplanes
• Tuesday, 16 June: Jim Bridenstine, Administrator, NASA 
• Wednesday, 17 June: Tom Vice, Chairman, President, and CEO, Aerion Corp.
• Thursday, 18 June: Grazia Vittadini, CTO, Airbus
• Friday, 19 June: Richard Aboulafia, VP, analysis, Teal Group Corp.

The virtual AIAA AVIATION Forum will operate in a similar fashion to the in-person event. Plenary sessions offer high-level insight, while Forum 360 sessions are a more in-depth look at a topic. There will be more than 800 technical presentations in about 200 technical sessions covering 20 plus technical disciplines.

The week roughly breaks down into a different focus each day.

• Monday: Sustainable product life cycle
• Tuesday: The next big leap in aircraft technology/NASA
• Wednesday: A faster future and how we get there
• Thursday: Advanced mobility and electric aircraft
• Friday: Future of the industry

Technical sessions are a good way to learn a lot about a topic and current research in a small space of time. Topics include aeroacoustics, hypersonic aerodynamics, air traffic management, aircraft design, cybersecurity, fluid dynamics, urban air mobility, vertical/short take-off and landing (V/STOL) aircraft systems, among other areas of expertise.

Virtual Events FAQ: https://www.aiaa.org/aviation/program/virtual-event-faqs

Media registration: https://www.aiaa.org/aviation/utility/about/press-credential-request

Media contact: Michele McDonald, michelem@aiaa.org, 703.264.7542

About AIAA
The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is the world’s largest aerospace technical society. With nearly 30,000 individual members from 91 countries, and 100 corporate members, AIAA brings together industry, academia, and government to advance engineering and science in aviation, space, and defense. For more information, visit www.aiaa.org, or follow AIAA on Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn.