Bilal KILIÇ received his PhD in Material Science and Nanotechnology from Bilkent University and master’s degrees in Chemistry at the same University after completing a combined Bachelor of Science and Master of Science (BS/MS) in Chemistry Education at Hacettepe University.

He has worked as a teaching and research assistant at Bilkent University. He has also worked as a teaching assistant at the Chemistry Education Department of Heidelberg University. After he completed his PhD studies, he has taught courses in aircraft accident investigation and advanced airline operational procedures as a visiting fellow while at the Faculty of Aviation and Aeronautical Sciences, Özyegin University. He became Assoc. Prof. Dr. in Aviation Management in 2024

He graduated from Turkish Airlines Flight Academy (TAFA) in 2013 and began his career flying the Boeing 737NG from 2014 to 2016. He received his Boeing 777-300ER type rating at Lufthansa Flight Training Center in Frankfurt and operated the Boeing 777 between 2016 and 2022. In 2021, he obtained the Boeing 787-9 type rating at Turkish Airlines Flight Training Center and flew the 787 until 2022. That same year, he upgraded to commander on the Boeing 737 fleet. In 2025, he
was appointed as a Type Rating Instructor (TRI) on the Boeing 737. He currently serves as a Line Training Captain and Technical Pilot within the Boeing 737 Fleet Management division.

Dr. Kilic is a member of the editorial board of the Journal of Aviation and currently serves as a reviewer for the following journals:
• Journal of Air Transport Management,
• Journal of Aeronautics and Space Technologies,
• Journal of Aviation Research,
• Journal of Aviation, and
• Aviation

His research interests are ab-initio pilot training, human factors, aircraft accident and incident investigation.