Industry Outreach

A full understanding of how the airline industry operates cannot materialize on the MIT campus alone. Thus, the Global Airline Industry Program features continuous interactions between the project team and the air transportation industry, with many on-site visits to airlines, airports, aircraft manufacturers, regulatory agencies, and major labor groups (e.g., Air Line Pilots Association). The project team is extremely fortunate to have a very extensive network of contacts within the airline industry and in the air transportation sector. In addition, intensive contacts with the industry are pursued through regular on-campus seminars and through annual workshops and conferences on campus (or at retreats).

Our Industry Advisory Board also plays a continuous and key advisory role for the Program. The Industry Advisory Board (IAB) consists of senior executives from the air transportation industry. In addition to senior airline executives, the membership includes representatives of a manufacturer (Boeing), several airline labor unions, and the former head of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

The IAB is crucial in providing direction to the Program, identifying promising areas of investigation. It plays a central role in assisting the Program to establish a "network" of individuals who will assist participating faculty and students in obtaining industry inputs on key questions as well as in accessing major sources of data.