Future Aero Festival
Where the Changemakers of Aviation Meet.
1-2 December, 2025 | Amsterdam, NL
The Future Aero Festival is where innovation meets collaboration. It’s a unique space designed to spark inspiration, share groundbreaking ideas, and forge new connections across the boundaries of aviation.
Hosted annually, the Future Aero Festival is a catalyst for shaping the future of aviation - from cutting-edge technologies to visionary thinking.
On Stage in 2025: Confirmed Speakers
-
Ekaterina Zaharieva serves as the European Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation, leading the EU’s efforts to place science, technology, and innovation at the core of Europe’s competitiveness and sustainability. She oversees initiatives to expand the European Innovation Council, advance the European Research Area Act, and boost Europe’s deep tech, life sciences, and research investment landscape.
Ekaterina Zaharieva
-
Constantijn van Oranje is Special Envoy at TechLeap, leading efforts to turn the Netherlands into a European powerhouse for technology and innovation. He and his team support the country’s most promising startups and scaleups, helping them grow through better access to capital, markets, and talent.
He is a Board Member of the NATO Innovation Fund, Member of the National Growth Fund Investment Committee, and Ambassador of the European Innovation Council. Constantijn also co-founded StartupFest Europe, the largest startup event ever held in the Netherlands.
Constantijn van Oranje
-
Maarten is Chief Operations Officer & Managing Director at KLM Royal Dutch Airlines. Over 25 years with KLM and the Air France-KLM Group, he has led global outstations, baggage and turnaround services, industrial relations, and hub operations - including navigating one of KLM’s most challenging periods during the COVID-19 pandemic. Appointed COO in 2022, Maarten is responsible for the overall coordination and performance of KLM’s operational organization.
Maarten Stienen
-
Tim is the visionary leader of INERATEC, making significant contributions to sustainability through his pioneering building the innovative e-Fuel company. His life goal of driving climate neutrality has been actualized through the establishment and growth of INERATEC, positioning the company at the forefront of the shift towards cleaner fueling solutions. An accomplished chemical engineer educated at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), he has significant experience in hydrogen production, catalysis, and petrochemistry.
Tim Boeltken
-
Jolanda leads KLM’s Zero Emission Aviation program, shaping the airline’s strategy around battery-electric and hydrogen-powered flight. With 25 years as a KLM pilot and experience in crisis management and training, she now brings her operational expertise to the forefront of aviation innovation.
Jolanda Stevens
-
Michael is the Chief Science Officer at RTX, leading the company’s scientific vision. With over 30 years at United Technologies and its divisions, he has held senior roles including Principal Fellow for Advanced Technology at Pratt & Whitney. His expertise spans propulsion, fuel cells, lasers, and combustion.
Michael Winter
-
Axel is the Executive Director of the Clean Aviation Joint Undertaking, a Public-Private Partnership and the European Union’s leading Research and Innovation programme for steering aviation towards a sustainable and climate-neutral future. The aim is to develop and demonstrate disruptive new technologies and aircraft concepts aimed at reducing CO2 and non-CO2 aircraft emissions. With over two decades at Airbus in executive roles, Axel brings extensive experience and is committed to shaping a climate-neutral future for aviation
Axel Krein
Daniel Moczydlower
-
Daniel is the President & CEO of Embraer-X and Head of Global Innovation Ecosystems at Embraer. With a background in chemical engineering and a passion for transformative tech, he’s led innovation across the company - from shaping its technology roadmap to launching future-facing ventures. Before joining Embraer, he was CEO of Chemtech (Siemens Group).
Suzanna Chiu
-
Suzanna leads Amadeus Ventures, the corporate VC arm of Amadeus IT Group, where she drives strategic investments in early-stage travel and aviation technologies. With a background in investment banking and technology consulting, she brings deep expertise in deal structuring, portfolio strategy, and ecosystem building.
-
Stephen is Managing Director at SKY VC, where he leads operations and partnerships, building strategic collaborations that connect portfolio companies with industry leaders. He brings over a decade of airline and innovation experience, having previously served on JetBlue’s Corporate Strategy team, where he managed a $150M capex budget and drove key initiatives including the airline’s COVID-19 response and company-wide strategy refresh.
Stephen Snyder
-
Diana is VP of Commercial Programs at Electra.aero and part of the company’s founding team. She co-led Electra’s initial customer outreach, resulting in 1,000+ aircraft pre-orders. Before joining Electra, she led advanced air mobility programs at Aurora Flight Sciences and held roles at BCG, MBDA (Airbus Group), and Lufthansa Technik
Diana Siegel
-
Jo is Head of Sustainability and Communications at Airbus Defence and Space and a member of its Executive Committee. Since joining Airbus in 2022, he has led the company’s sustainability strategy and communications. Previously, Jo was Vice President Communications at BSH Hausgeräte and Director of Marketing Communication at Robert Bosch GmbH. He has also supported humanitarian projects in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Mali.
Jo Mueller
Ivor van Dartel
-
Ivor is Co-Founder and CEO of VÆRIDION, a Sustainable Aero Lab Graduated Startup, pioneering battery-electric aircraft for zero-emission regional flight. VÆRIDION’s Microliner concept integrates advanced wing-battery modules and a fully redundant electric propulsion system, aiming to make sustainable short-haul travel a reality by 2030. Before founding VÆRIDION, Ivor worked at Airbus in engineering, operations, and research & technology, where he managed the hybrid-electric drive system for the E-Fan X demonstrator.
-
Neil is a Senior Manager at Boeing, leading the team developing the Cascade Climate Impact Model — a data modeling and visualization tool supporting aviation's decarbonization efforts. With a strong foundation in experimental aerodynamics and propulsion research, Neil brings over 15 years of experience spanning roles at Boeing, Aurora Flight Sciences, MIT, and the University of Cambridge. He has held key engineering and research leadership positions, including work on next-generation aircraft concepts and climate modeling tools. Neil holds a Ph.D. in Experimental Aerodynamics and a Master’s in Aerospace Engineering, both from the University of Cambridge.
Neil Titchener
Jim Morrison
-
Jim is the Chief Risk Officer at Avolon, responsible for shaping the company’s global risk strategy and driving its response to emerging industry challenges. He previously led Avolon’s entry into the freighter market and helped launch its eVTOL commercialization strategy. Before Avolon, he held senior roles at CIT Aerospace and Bombardier and is also a key contributor to Avolon’s thought leadership and sustainability initiatives.
-
Zain is an investor at United Airlines Ventures, sourcing and evaluating startups across the Aerospace, Travel Technology, and Aviation Infrastructure verticals. He brings EU startup experience and Wall Street experience to his role championing innovation in aviation and travel. Before United Airlines Ventures, he worked in Transportation Investment Banking at Morgan Stanley in New York.
Zain Athar
-
Shashank is the CEO of SimpliFlying and one of the most recognized voices in aviation marketing and innovation. A bestselling author of SOAR and Sustainability in the Air, Shashank is known for his engaging talks and customer experience. His work has been featured by The New York Times, CNN, and The Wall Street Journal, and he has been named among Skift’s Top 100 Global Thought Leaders in Travel.
Shashank Nigam
-
Dean is the co-founder of Volaris, Mexico’s largest airline, and a longtime investor in aerospace and aviation innovation. Through DiamondStream Partners, he invested in pioneering companies like Ampaire, Elroy Air, and renowned JetZero, where he brings deep expertise from decades of leadership across the industry.
Dean Donovan
-
Max is the co-founder of ch-aviation, a leading aviation intelligence platform used by airlines, OEMs, and lessors worldwide. He’s known for his sharp commentary on airline operations, helping the industry make data-driven decisions. At the Festival, Max will dive into the most defining data points in aviation of the past 12 months.
Max Oldorf
-
Bjorn is an aeronautical engineer and ex–fighter pilot from the Swedish Air Force. With over 40 years in aviation, he brings deep technical insights to his work at Leeham Company. He has flown 15 aircraft types and is widely known for his weekly 'corners', published in the Leeham News & Analysis blog.
Bjorn Fehrm
-
Peter is a partner at Bruski Smeets & Lange, and founder of 360 Asset Finance, an advisory boutique in the field of green energy and green molecules. He played a key role in the management buyout and financial restructuring of Condor Airlines during the pandemic, and continues to advise airlines on addressing sustainability and innovation strategies. Peter is a founding member of the renowned NGO Impact on Sustainable Aviation.
Peter Smeets
YOUR 2025 EXPERIENCE
POWER PITCH STAGE
Over 50 visionary startups and trailblazing companies from around the globe will take the Power Pitch Stage to showcase bold ideas and breakthrough solutions shaping the future of sustainable aviation.
INVESTOR Q&A
Top-tier investors take the stage for dynamic investor Q&A - sharing their vision, spotting game-changing ideas, and connecting directly with the next wave of aviation innovators.
PRODUCT SHOWCASING
From next-gen aircraft components to advanced systems, the exhibition area is where breakthrough innovations come to life. Explore tangible prototypes, and real-world solutions from startups and industry players.
EXCLUSIVE NETWORKING
Join a curated space where bold thinkers, top investors, and startups connect. This is where the future of aviation gets personal and powerful partnerships begin.
