Dr. Fecri Karanki is an Assistant Professor in the School of Aviation and Transportation Technology at Purdue University, specializing in transportation economics with a focus on productivity, efficiency, regulatory impacts, and the economic performance of aviation markets. He also serves as the faculty lead for the Finance and Economics in Air Transportation (FEAT) Lab. His research examines how industry structure, policy, technological advancements, and external shocks influence operational and financial outcomes in air transportation. He also investigates the economic implications of artificial intelligence (AI), particularly its effects on productivity, workforce dynamics, labor markets, and employment outcomes. His scholarly work has been published in leading academic journals, including Research in Transportation Economics, Journal of Air Transport Management, Transport Policy, Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Research in Transportation Business and Management, Economics of Transportation, and Managerial and Decision Economics.
Dr. Karanki is actively involved in several research projects funded through the Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP). He serves as Principal Investigator for ACRP 03-72, “A Guide on the Economic Impacts of E-Commerce on Airports and Airport Stakeholders,” and ACRP 03-80, “A Guide for Air Cargo System Planning.” He also serves as Co-Principal Investigator for ACRP 01-55, “Guide for In-Terminal Airport Concession Programs”; ACRP 03-82, “A Guide for Developing Airport Cargo Handling and Warehouse Infrastructure Through Public-Private Partnerships”; and ACRP 01-59, “Guide for Developing and Managing Airport Landside Vehicular Congestion Pricing.” Through these projects, his research contributes to evidence-based decision-making, airport planning, infrastructure development, and the advancement of airport management practices and aviation policy.
Dr. Karanki has held multiple leadership roles within the Transportation Research Board (TRB). From 2022 to 2025, he served as Committee Research Coordinator for the AVO40 Aviation Economics and Forecasting Committee and as a member of the AV030 Environmental Issues in Aviation Committee. Since May 2025, he has also been a member of the AV012 Aviation Market Economics and Analysis Committee. In addition, Dr. Karanki has served as Paper Review Coordinator for the TRB Annual Meeting since 2022. Beyond TRB, he has served as Vice President of the Transportation Research Forum (TRF) since 2022, actively contributing to the dissemination of transportation economics research through chapter development and activities.
Dr. Karanki holds a Ph.D. in Transportation and Logistics and an M.S. in Applied Statistics from North Dakota State University, along with an MBA from Istanbul Technical University.
