Mr. Manoj Chacko
We are thrilled to welcome regional aviation pioneer Manoj Chacko; Founder,
Managing Director and CEO of FLY91, as a featured keynote speaker.
As organisations across high-intensity sectors navigate rapid growth, there is an urgent need for conference attendees to hear how leaders can effectively prioritise the mental health and psychological well-being of their teams. In an industry as demanding as aviation, Manoj Chacko stands out by placing employee care and human-centric leadership at the core of operational strategy - proving that commercial ambition and workforce wellness must fly together.
With over 30 years of executive experience across industry giants such as Emirates, American Express, SOTC, and WNS, Chacko brings a masterclass in resilient leadership. An alumnus of Goa Engineering College and Goa University, he co-founded Goa-headquartered FLY91 to realise the vision of ‘Bharat Unbound’ - strengthening regional connectivity between Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities and major economic hubs.
Having recently marked its second anniversary of commercial operations FLY91’s fleet of ATR 72-600 turboprops has completed over 9,500 flights and nearly 13,000 flying hours. Named ‘Business Leader of the Year’ at the 14th Business Goa Awards for Corporate Excellence 2026, Chacko has combined steady fleet expansion and disciplined cost leadership with a strong commitment to cultivating local talent and supporting workplace culture.
At IPAAC 2026, attendees will gain crucial insights into maintaining high operational standards while fostering a supportive, mentally healthy work environment during periods of rapid scaling. Do not miss this opportunity to hear directly from a leader redefining modern organisational health and regional connectivity.
Please join IPAAC in our warm welcome of Manoj Chacko to the IPAAC Main Conference.
Surgeon Vice Admiral Arti Sarin
We are privileged to announce Surgeon Vice Admiral Arti Sarin, PVSM, AVSM, VSM the Director General of the Armed Forces Medical Services (DGAFMS), the highest medical appointment in the Indian Armed Forces.
Appointed in 2024, she became the first woman to lead the Armed Forces Medical Services and the highest-ranking woman officer in India's military history.
An alumna of the Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC), Pune, Vice Admiral Sarin is a distinguished radiologist and radiation oncologist with advanced training in Gamma Knife Surgery from the University of Pittsburgh, USA. She has served in senior clinical, academic and command positions across the Army, Navy and Air Force, making her one of the few officers to have held leadership roles in all three services.
A recipient of the Param Vishisht Seva Medal (PVSM), Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM) and Vishisht Seva Medal (VSM), she is widely respected for her contributions to military medicine, healthcare leadership, medical education and the well-being of India's armed forces.
Dr. Cristian Panait
Dr. Cristian Ionut Panait is a medical doctor specialised in family and aviation medicine. He has been one of EASA’s medical experts since 2015. Cristian began his career in aviation medicine in 2008 as an aero-medical examiner (AME), becoming a medical assessor for the Romanian CAA in 2010. In 2015, he joined EASA as medical rulemaking officer. He has been EASA’s main rule-making officer in the field of aero-medical certification of pilots and air traffic controllers. Cristian was involved in the aftermath of the Germanwings flight U9525 accident, including the enhancement of mental health assessment and mandating the use of support programmes for aircrew members. Cristian provided medical technical expertise to the return to normal operations (RNO) project set up by EASA during the COVID-19 pandemic. More recently, Cristian has been the technical lead from the EASA side of the MESAFE study evaluating existing mental health assessment options and recommending ways to improve the existing system of mental health assessment for aviation personnel.
IPAAC are honoured to announce Dr. Cristian Panait as our keynote speaker, current Medical Rule-making Officer and Aero-Medical Expert at the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). Dr. Panait brings unparalleled expertise in defining global aero-medical standards. From shaping EASA’s regulatory framework following Germanwings Flight U9525 to leading the MESAFE study on flight crew mental health evaluation, his insights are set to empower delegates across Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and the Pacific to formalise robust Peer Support Programmes (PSPs).
By leaning into Dr. Panait's rulemaking expertise, regional carriers can see how to translate regulatory intent into active operational success.
Dr. Tim Sprott
Tim has served with the New Zealand CAA’s aviation medical team since 2019, stepping into the role of Chief Medical Officer in August 2023. Working alongside Australia’s CASA, he is driving a progressive transformation in regulatory culture - modernizing systems and pioneering initiatives like health-promotion medicals, streamlined ADHD pathways, and the groundbreaking Safe Haven initiative.
Prior to his regulatory role, Tim spent over two years gaining invaluable operational insight working directly with pilots, air traffic controllers, engineers, and ground staff in the airline industry. He is a Fellow of the Australasian Faculty of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (FAOEM).
While establishing formal frameworks for peer support programs (as successfully demonstrated by India's DGCA) is a critical step forward, removing systemic barriers to healthcare seeking is equally vital for aviation safety. Tim was instrumental in envisioning and establishing the regulatory roadmap for Safe Haven, a novel program designed to address this exact challenge.
Safe Haven offers pilots and ATCOs a confidential, separate pathway to manage potential health concerns via specially trained Medical Examiners (MESHs), free from immediate mandatory disclosure obligations to the CAA. By giving personnel greater control over their health journeys and covering costs for simpler cases, Safe Haven builds deep systemic trust while keeping safe operators where they belong: in the air and in the tower.
Connect with Tim at the IPAAC conference to discuss how your agency can pair peer support policies with trusted healthcare-seeking pathways to strengthen regulatory culture across the region.
Capt. Dave Fielding
Dave Fielding studied Classics at Cambridge before making the perfectly logical step and becoming an airline pilot. He joined British Airways in 1993 on the Highlands and Islands Division, flying the BAe ATP where he developed his love of flying and hatred for aircraft with no heating . When Highlands Division closed he moved down to London on the B757 and achieved his command on the Airbus A320 in 2001. Since then he has been a captain on the B767, B777, A350 and the A380, which is his current type.
Dave has been a union rep with the British Airline Pilots Association (BALPA) since 1996, specialising in disciplinaries This led to an interest in alcohol and welfare cases, which in turn led to him creating a BALPA peer intervention programme. Following the Germanwings crash of 2015, he worked with British Airways to adapt and improve the programme, and in January 2017 the Speedbird Pilots Assistance Network (PAN) became the first Peer Support Programme in Europe to be launched post-Germanwings. Dave is the Secretary of the Executive Board of EPPSI, the European Pilot Peer Support Initiative, and was instrumental in the writing of the EPPSI Guide to the Implementation of Peer Support Programmes, and the rewrite of the IFALPA Pilot Assistance Manual.
In November 2023 he became Chair of IPAAC, the International Peer Assist Aviation Coalition. His latest project was launching in August 2024 an alcohol and drugs support programme within British Airways for pilots who declare an addiction problem. Working in close collaboration with the UK CAA, the aim of this programme is to monitor and support these pilots closely on their return to sobriety and get them back flying much earlier than the current system allows.