Dr. Hassan Shahidi is the president and CEO of Flight Safety Foundation, where he leads a global campaign to improve aviation safety. He directs the Foundation’s mission across several locations around the world, including Melbourne, Australia; Brussels, Montreal, and Washington. Dr. Shahidi has led the Foundation’s initiatives to promote safety culture and proactive safety management around the world. He has launched initiatives to facilitate humanitarian use of uncrewed systems for delivery of vaccines and medicines. His other global priorities include addressing risks of runway excursions, loss of control and controlled flight into terrain.

Dr. Shahidi has over 40 years of experience in applying systems engineering and data analytics to advance air traffic control in the U.S. and around the world. He has led several air traffic modernization initiatives including performance-based navigation (PBN), airspace design analytics, traffic flow management, and terminal automation concepts. He holds a private pilot license. Dr. Shahidi is a recipient of various industry awards, including Aviation Week Commercial Aviation Safety Award and RTCA Outstanding Achievement Award. He holds a bachelor and master’s in international economic and studies, a master’s in systems engineering and operations research, and a doctorate in engineering management.