Akbar Sultan

Director, Office of Research and Engineering

NTSB

Akbar Sultan is Director of the Office of Research and Engineering at the National Transportation Safety Board, where he leads multidisciplinary teams providing scientific and technical expertise for accident investigations across all modes of transportation, alongside safety research, statistical analysis of aviation accidents, and medical and toxicological evaluation. His organization encompasses the Safety Research, Materials Laboratory, Vehicle Recorder, and Vehicle Performance divisions, as well as the Medical Investigations Program. Previously, Sultan directed NASA’s Aviation Operations and Safety Program, managing a $120M+ research portfolio focused on advancing NextGen air transportation capabilities in collaboration with the Federal Aviation Administration, industry, and academia. His work has emphasized integrated airspace operations, verification and validation of complex systems, data-driven and real-time safety assurance, and enabling the safe integration of unmanned and increasingly autonomous aircraft into the U.S. National Airspace System.

Sessions