NASA Speaker Looks at Future of Innovation in Air Travel

HAMPTON, Va. Bankruptcies, fewer destinations, and a lack of large-scale commercial investment banks challenged the U.S. airlines over the last 20 years. Where does the air transportation industry go from here?

On Tuesday, June 2, NASA’s Langley Research Center, Hampton, Va., hosts Bruce Holmes, co-founder, CEO and chief strategy officer of NextGen Sciences, LLC at 2 p.m. in the Reid Conference Center. Holmes will examine the recent past of industry and government investments in the technologies, policies, finances, and national strategies for air travel with a future look into air transportation systems.

Media who wish to interview Holmes at a news briefing at 1:15 p.m. Tuesday should contact Chris Rink at 864-6786 or at christopher.p.rink@nasa.gov by noon for credentials and entry to NASA Langley.

On Tuesday evening, Holmes will present the same talk for the general public at 7:30 p.m. at the Virginia Air & Space Center (VASC) in downtown Hampton. The evening presentation is free and no reservations are required.

A former NASA Langley aeronautics research engineer for 33 years, Holmes serves on the FAA Research, Engineering, and Development Advisory Committee supporting oversight of National Airspace Systems advancements. He was in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy on air transportation strategies; was instrumental in the strategic development of the Next Generation Air Transportation System, Joint Planning and Development Office, the creation of the NASA Advanced General Aviation Transport Experiments Alliance, and the Small Aircraft Transportation System Project.

Holmes is also a Fellow and previous Engineer of the Year in the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics as well as a Citation type-rated pilot and former flight instructor with 40 years civil aviation experience.