The future of aviation takes flight in San Diego this June. AIAA unveiled the program for AIAA AVIATION Forum 2026, 8-12 June, at the Manchester Grand Hyatt and it’s built to match the rapid pace of change in aerospace. This year’s theme, “From Velocity to Altitude – Accelerating Toward Tomorrow,” captures the acceleration of aviation technology. Registration for the forum is open, with early-bird rates ending 11 May.
“Next generation technologies are reshaping both the pace and direction of aerospace innovation,” said AIAA CEO Clay Mowry. “This event is mission essential for aviation professionals from industry, government, and academia – ensuring next generation air transportation systems are safe, efficient, and ready for what’s next.”
Five Days. One Agenda. A Mission-Critical Program.
The main stage will deliver defining talks on the technologies redefining flight – AI in the cockpit, electric aircraft, hydrogen propulsion, and beyond. Expect insights from the agencies, companies, and universities driving aerospace forward. Headlining the week: a live update from NASA Aeronautics on its vision and outlook for the years ahead.
Confirmed speakers include (alphabetical order):
- Darcy Allison, Advanced Development Engineering Workflow Lead, Anduril Industries
- Phil Ansell, Associate Professor and Allen Ormsbee Faculty Scholar, Department of Aerospace Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
- Bimal Aponso, Chief Scientific and Technical Advisor for Dynamic Systems, Federal Aviation Administration
- Lori Arnett, Associate Director for Digital Transformation, Aerosciences and Evaluation Test Capabilities, NASA
- Luc Van Bavel, CTO/Co-Founder, Evio
- Andreas “Andy” Bernhard, Director, Structures, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics
- Kevin Bowcutt, Senior Technical Fellow and Chief Scientist of Hypersonics, The Boeing Company
- Gaudy Bezos-O’Connor, Project Manager, Electrified Powertrain Flight Demonstration, Integrated Aviation Systems Program, NASA
- John Cavolowsky, Director, Transformative Aeronautics Concepts Program, Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate, NASA
- Carlos Cesnik, Richard A. Auhll Department Chair and Francois-Xavier Bagnoud Professor of Aerospace Engineering, University of Michigan
- Joshua Deaton, Deputy Chief Scientist, Aerospace Systems Directorate, Air Force Research Laboratory
- Marc Fischer, Senior Vice President Engineering – HO Cabin and Cargo Centre of Competence, Airbus
- Robert D. Gregg III, Chief Aerodynamicist, Boeing Commercial Airplanes
- Roberto I. Guerrero, USAF Operational Energy (Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Operational Energy, Safety and Occupational Health (SOH), Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Energy, Installations, and Environment)
- Tom Gunnarson, Lead of Regulatory Affairs, Wisk
- Kelley Hashemi, Associate Director, Transformative Aeronautics Concepts Program, NASA
- Scott Kaslusky, Vice President, Aerospace Technology, RTX
- David King, Chief Engineer, Vertical Aerospace
- Travis Klopfenstein, Innovation Program Manager, Collins Aerospace
- Parimal “PK” Kopardekar, Airspace Operations and Safety Program Acting Director, Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate, NASA
- Ed Lovelace, CTO and VP Engineering, Ampaire
- Nateri Madavan, Advanced Air Vehicles Program Director, Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate, NASA
- Dmitri Mavris, Distinguished Regent’s Professor, Georgia Institute of Technology
- Kate McMurtry, Integrated Aviation Systems Program Acting Director, Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate, NASA
- Bjorn Nagel, Director, Institute of System Architectures in Aeronautics, DLR
- Ryan Naru, Aviation Policy and Regulatory Affairs Lead, Joby Aviation
- Tim Niznik, Director of Analytics, American Airlines
- Bob Pearce, Associate Administrator, Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate, NASA
- Prajwal Prakasha, Group Lead-Aviation System Design and Assessment, DLR
- Amy Pritchett, Professor and Head of Aerospace Engineering, Pennsylvania State University
- Jeremy Roehm, Chief of Technology and Partnerships – US, Rolls-Royce
- OJ Sanchez, Vice President and General Manager, Lockheed Martin Skunk Works®
- Venke Sankaran, Chief Scientist of Aerospace Systems Directorate, Air Force Research Laboratory
- Blake Scholl, Founder and CEO, Boom Supersonic
- Cleiton Diniz Pereira da Silva e Silva, Vice President of Technology and Advanced Projects, Embraer
- Adam Shepherd, Northrop Grumman Fellow–Digital Engineering, Northrop Grumman
- Jess Sponable, President and Chief Technology Officer, New Frontier Aerospace, Inc.
- JP Stewart, Senior Vice President of Product Development, Electra.aero
- Brandon Suarez, Vice President of UAS Integration, Reliable Robotics
- John Vassberg, Chief Design Officer, JetZero
- Graham Warwick, Executive Editor, Technology, Aviation Week
- Paige Stanton Wilson, Chief Development Officer, Acubed
1,000+ Technical Presentations. 20+ Topics. Zero Filler.
AIAA AVIATION Forum has earned its reputation for serious technical depth. This year delivers even more of it. The technical program features over 1,000 presentations across more than 20 research tracks, covering fluid dynamics, applied aerodynamics, air transportation systems, thermophysics, multidisciplinary design optimization, and more.
A slate of hands-on technical courses and workshops puts attendees inside the most pressing challenges in aviation today – with the experts leading the charge on the timeliest aviation topics:
- Design of Electrified Propulsion Aircraft Course
- AIAA Drag Prediction and Aeroelastic Prediction Workshop
- 3rd AIAA Workshop on Multifidelity Methods for Design and Uncertainty Quantification
- Propeller Aerodynamics for Advanced Air Mobility: Fundamentals and Integration Effects Course
- Computational Aeroelasticity Course
- Hypersonic Aerothermodynamics Course
Attendees can also participate in the Electric Propulsion and Advanced Technology Symposium (EPATS) Conference during the week. The EPATS keynote addresses, panel discussions, and technical sessions will focus on the continued technological development, design, evaluation, characterization, modeling, and integration of electrified aircraft components and systems.
