October 17, 2025
John-Paul Clarke, a professor in the Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics at The University of Texas at Austin, is one of three distinguished individuals named a fellow of the Airline Group of the International Federation of Operational Research Societies (AGIFORS). This prestigious recognition is reserved for members of the society who have demonstrated exceptional achievements in applying operations research to air transportation, and who have made significant, long-standing contributions to the AGIFORS community through active participation and leadership.
Clarke is being honored for his pioneering work in robust scheduling, integrated recovery, and the interplay between airline operations and air traffic management. His group’s innovative work includes the development of optimization algorithms used by airlines to adjust flight times and intelligently route aircraft, resulting in reduced flight delays and disrupted passenger itineraries. He has also developed optimization algorithms for fully integrated airline recovery and runway scheduling; and an analytical framework and simulation-based methodology to create flight procedures that reduce the environmental impact of aircraft operations during descent, approach, and landing.
“Dr. Clarke’s contributions to AGIFORS have been both profound and enduring. His pioneering work on efficient algorithms for developing robust schedules and environmentally efficient flight procedures has advanced the field and delivered tangible benefits to airline operations and sustainability,” said David Foster, president of AGIFORS. “Beyond his research, Dr. Clarke has enriched our community through thoughtful presentations at AGIFORS meetings, his service on the Council, mentoring students and young professionals, and his dedicated service as a reviewer for the Anna Valicek Award. We are proud to recognize him as an AGIFORS Fellow and deeply grateful for the lasting impact he continues to make.”
Clarke, who holds the Ernest Cockrell Jr. Memorial Chair in Engineering, said, “I am thrilled to be elected an AGIFORS fellow, thereby becoming one of only twenty-seven individuals to be granted this honor in the sixty-five years since AGIFORS was founded. I am also somewhat overcome with emotion because one of the other fellows is my only sibling Michael Clarke (who was elected in 2019 for his pioneering work on algorithms for airline recovery) and another is my deceased mentor Ellis Johnson (who arguably has had the greatest impact on the theory and practice of operations research in the airline industry).”
Clarke and the two other newly named fellows, Thomas Fiig of Amadeus and Stefan Karisch of Amazon, will be officially recognized at the Gala Dinner during the 65th Annual AGIFORS Symposium hosted by easyJet in London on November 19, 2025.
About AGIFORS
The Airline Group of the International Federation of Operational Research Societies (AGIFORS) is a global professional society focused on advancing operations research in the airline industry. Its members include experts from airlines, academia, and related sectors who collaborate to solve complex aviation challenges through analytics and innovation.
AGIFORS also supports emerging talent through initiatives like the Anna Valicek Award, which honors original and innovative research by graduate students, and the Ken Wang Scholars Program, which recognizes promising students in airline operations research.
