Capt. Bilal KILIÇ, PhD

Boeing 737 Captain & Type Rating Instructor (TRI)
Associate Professor (Aviation Management)

Bilal KILIÇ received his PhD in Materials Science and Nanotechnology from Bilkent University, where he also earned his master’s degree in Chemistry after completing a combined Bachelor and Master of Science (BS/MS) in Chemistry Education at Hacettepe University. During his academic career, he worked as a teaching and research assistant at Bilkent University and as a teaching assistant in the Department of Chemistry Education at Heidelberg University, Germany.

Following the completion of his doctoral studies, Dr. Kılıç served as a visiting fellow at the Faculty of Aviation and Aeronautical Sciences, Özyeğin University, where he taught courses on Aircraft Accident Investigation and Advanced Airline Operational Procedures. In 2024, he was awarded the title of Associate Professor in Aviation Management.

He began his airline career on the Boeing 737NG between 2014 and 2016. He subsequently received his Boeing 777-300ER type rating at the Lufthansa Flight Training Center in Frankfurt and operated the Boeing 777 from 2016 to 2022. In 2021, he obtained the Boeing 787-9 type rating, flying the 787 until 2022.

In 2022, he upgraded to Commander on the Boeing 737 fleet and began flying as a Line Training Captain in January 2024. In 2025, he was appointed as a Type Rating Instructor (TRI) on the Boeing 737 and currently serves as a Line Training Captain and Type Rating Instructor. From 2024 until the fourth quarter of 2025, he also performed Technical Pilot duties within the Boeing 737 Fleet Management Division. In addition to his line and instructional responsibilities, he presently serves as a Flight Safety Specialist within the Corporate Safety Division.

His research interests include ab-initio pilot training, accident investigation, human factors, and aviation psychology.

Dr. Kılıç currently serves as a reviewer for the following journals:

• Journal of Air Transport Management

• Journal of Aeronautics and Space Technologies

• Journal of Aviation Research

• Journal of Aviation

• Aviation

• Human Factors in Aviation and Aerospace