John Illson

John Illson is an aviation safety executive having over forty-five years of experience. John began his career in 1979, as a captain for a major U.S. air carrier where he accumulated over 18,000 hours of flight experience on Airbus, Boeing, British Aerospace, Fokker, and McDonnell Douglas aircraft.

In 2005, John joined the International Air Transport Association (IATA) as Assistant Director of Safety and led multiple safety initiatives including the development of safety management systems for the world’s largest airlines.

In 2009, John transitioned to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), serving as Chief of Operational Safety. In this role, he was responsible for the development of international standards associated with airworthiness, flight operations, personnel licensing, and safety management.

John has also held senior leadership roles in companies developing new aircraft technologies. His positions included Head of Aviation Safety at Uber and Chief Safety Officer at Supernal, Hyundai’s electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft initiative.

In 2024, John joined the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) as a Senior Advisor to then - Administrator Michael Whitaker. In this role, he evaluated the FAA’s internal safety processes and developed recommendations for the transformation to a risk-based oversight system.

John holds a degree in Public Administration from Georgetown University as well as master’s degrees in business administration and international policy from the University of Pittsburgh. He is a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautic Society.