Global expertise. One trusted team.

CHAIRMAN 

Dr. Hamdi Chaouk is widely recognized as one of the most distinguished aviation leaders in the Middle East and North Africa, bringing over 35 years of strategic influence and executive expertise to the global aviation sector. He previously served as the Director General of Civil Aviation of Lebanon, where he led national aviation reform initiatives and strengthened the country’s position within the international aviation community. His experience spans aviation strategy, sector transformation, airport governance, business optimization, and operational planning. He has led major airport and airline projects around the world, advising governments and private-sector organizations on airport development, funding models, regulatory frameworks, and sustainable growth.

Dr. Chaouk has played a pivotal role in shaping national aviation policies, including drafting aviation laws, regulations, and long-term strategies for multiple states. His international leadership includes serving on both the ICAO Council and the ACI Asia-Pacific Council for more than a decade, giving him a global, multi-disciplinary perspective that continues to influence the wider aviation industry.

 Qualifications & Affiliations:

• PhD in Aeronautical Engineering – University of Sydney, Australia
• Former Professor at universities in Lebanon, UAE, Australia, the UK, and Canada
• Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society (FRAeS) and member of several international aviation associations
• Executive Board Member of multiple aviation corporations and academic institutions 

MANAGING DIRECTOR

Dr. Mohammed Chaouk has over seven years of experience successfully leading and managing the company’s portfolio of aviation and airport development projects. He is recognized for delivering complex assignments on time and with precision, ensuring seamless coordination between clients, subject-matter experts (SMEs), and stakeholders. 

His expertise includes advising governments and private entities on airport strategy, business model selection, and operational frameworks. He has led major initiatives involving airport operation and management tender documents, the development of aerodrome manuals and airport emergency plans, as well as the coordination and management of complex aviation and airport development projects. He continues to drive AVIATION MINDS – AIRPORTS toward sustainable growth, stronger partnerships, and international impact.

Qualifications:

• PhD in Aviation Management (Transport Systems), Cranfield University, United Kingdom
• MSc in Aerospace Vehicle Design, Cranfield University, United Kingdom
• BSc in Mechanical Engineering (Aerospace), University of Balamand, Lebanon

Aviation Safety, Airside Operations, Airport Emergency Management, and ORAT

Mr. Ozan Karakiş is one of the most capable and respected experts in airside operations, aviation safety, aerodrome certification, airport emergency management, and ORAT in the region. With more than 30 years of progressively responsible experience, he brings a front-line, mission-driven leadership ethos, supported by combat-proven decision-making skills and a reputation for exceptional work ethic, resilience, and unwavering commitment to operational excellence. His career reflects a consistent ability to maintain safety, enhance capacity, and lead complex operations under dynamically stressful conditions.

Ozan has previously served as the Airside Operations Director at iGA Istanbul Airport and as the Director of Airside Operations and Safety at Prince Mohammed Bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Medina, Saudi Arabia. At Istanbul Grand Airport (LTFM/IST), he played a pivotal role in the operational planning and establishment of airside operations for one of the world’s largest greenfield airport projects. His responsibilities extended across airside maintenance, ARFF, safety management systems, regulatory compliance, aerodrome certification, obstacle control, operations budgeting, technical specifications of airside equipment, vehicle and driver permitting, security access systems, wildlife hazard management, aircraft recovery, and the coordination of a wide range of airport stakeholders.

His depth of expertise is further shaped by his earlier service as a Fire Fighting Chief and through his operational work with NATO across multiple countries, where he earned NATO Service Medals. This combination of high-level airport leadership, emergency response authority, regulatory knowledge, and ORAT experience positions Mr. Karakiş among the top-tier consultants globally in airport operations, safety, and crisis management.

Airport & Air Navigation Economic Regulation, Planning, Technical and Financial Feasibility

Mr. Gonzalo Ibarra is an accomplished air transport consultant with over 20 years of experience in airport planning, operations, and technical, economic, and financial feasibility studies for both brownfield and greenfield airports. He holds a Master’s in Air Transport Management from Cranfield University and a Juris Doctor from Andrés Bello University.

Gonzalo specializes in establishing, reviewing, and structuring airport and air navigation charges, including cost allocation models, for operators and multi-airport networks. He has led advisory projects for airports, governments, engineering firms, and development banks across Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, and the Asia-Pacific region.

Gonzalo’s most notable work in the Middle East includes establishing the Regulatory Affairs Department for MATARAT Holding in Saudi Arabia following the introduction of the Kingdom’s new Airport Economic and Ground Handling Regulations. He has also carried out comprehensive technical and financial feasibility assessments for Al-Khafji Regional Airport in Saudi Arabia and Sohar International Airport in Oman. In addition, as a certified ACI instructor, he provides specialized training for airport and civil aviation leaders on user-charging frameworks, airline business models, airport economics, and air law.

Airport Operations, ORAT, Terminal Management & Airport Development 

Mr. Hilmi Yılmaz is an accomplished airport operations and management professional with over 20 years of experience across air traffic control, terminal and airside operations, ground handling operations, and large-scale airport development. A seasoned expert in Operational Readiness and Airport Transfer (ORAT), he has played key roles in the preparation and opening of major airports worldwide, including Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen Airport, Istanbul New Airport, Samarkand International Airport, and Conakry International Airport, working in collaboration with Munich Airport, Incheon International Airport and other international partners.

Hilmi specializes in airport modernization programs, PPP-based airport development, operational planning, and commissioning of new terminals. His expertise spans airside and landside operations, ground handling operation and oversight, safety and regulatory compliance, operational trials, stakeholder coordination, and transition management. He has led full operational transfers from construction to live operations, authored comprehensive airport operations manuals and trial scenarios, and supported CAPEX/OPEX planning for airport development under ICAO, EASA, and IATA standards and he authored critical manuals such as TOM, GOM, Aerodrome Manual, Emergency Response Plan, and terminal CONOPS.