Dr Kyriakos Kourousis, Associate Professor in the School of Engineering at the University of Limerick, has been announced as a member of the judging panel for the Aviation Industry Awards 2026, bringing 25 years of experience spanning aircraft maintenance engineering, airworthiness management, and aeronautical research to Ireland's benchmark programme for aviation excellence and innovation.

Kourousis built the foundation of his career as an Aeronautical Engineer Officer with the Hellenic Air Force, reaching the rank of Major before transitioning to academia. During that military career he served as manager of the Mirage 2000 airframe and systems airworthiness, quality control, and assurance programme, as well as the fleet fatigue monitoring and structural integrity programme, and held aircraft maintenance and quality assurance roles at 114 Fighter Wing in Tanagra, Greece.

That operational background, developed within one of aviation's most technically demanding and high-consequence environments, gives his panel contribution a grounding in aviation safety and aircraft maintenance engineering that goes well beyond theoretical expertise.

At the University of Limerick, Kourousis leads the Metal Plasticity and Additive Manufacturing research group and the Airworthiness research group within the School of Engineering, pursuing research in airworthiness management, metal plasticity, and the mechanical behaviour of conventionally and additively manufactured metals under complex loading conditions.

That work sits at the intersection of aviation technology and advanced manufacturing, placing him at the forefront of research with direct implications for aircraft innovation and the future of airworthiness engineering.

A registered Chartered Engineer with the UK Engineering Council and a member of the Royal Aeronautical Society Airworthiness and Maintenance Specialist Group, where he has also served as Chair, Kourousis carries into the judging process both the technical authority and the professional standing that the Aviation Industry Awards demands of its panel.

The Aviation Industry Awards, launched in 2014, spans 25 categories from Aviation Company of the Year and aircraft maintenance categories to aviation innovation, airline safety, aviation technology, and Aviation Rising Star. Kourousis joins fellow panellists Adam Bouchard of Nashville International Airport and Samantha Harding of SILC on a panel bound by strict confidentiality protocols.

The awards gala will take place on 3 December 2026 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Dublin Airport. Entries close on 21 August 2026.

Visit the official Aviation Industry Awards website to explore past winners, review category details, and subscribe to the newsletter for insights and event updates.