UC3M Aerospace Student Recognised at the 2025 SESAR Young Scientist Award

Abolfazl Simorgh, a student of the Aerospace Engineering Department at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M), has been awarded second place in the PhD category of the prestigious 2025 SESAR Young Scientist Award, an international recognition for groundbreaking research in air traffic management (ATM) and the future of aviation.

The SESAR Young Scientist Award, organised annually by the SESAR Joint Undertaking, celebrates outstanding early-career researchers whose work combines scientific excellence with real-world impact. The winners were announced during the SESAR Innovation Days held this year in Slovenia, the flagship event for ATM research and innovation in Europe.

Abolfazl’s thesis, focused on climate-friendly trajectory optimisation, explores innovative strategies to incorporate non-CO₂ atmospheric effects into flight planning. His research provides valuable tools for both structured and free-route airspace operations, contributing to the global effort to make aviation cleaner, smarter, and more sustainable.

The jury highlighted the high relevance and applicability of his work to the future of air traffic management, recognising its potential to support the next generation of environmentally conscious flight operations.

We extend our warmest congratulations to Abolfazl for this well-deserved recognition and look forward to the continued impact of his research.