Aviationlife.gr: A Scientific Approach to Aviation Industry
Aviationlife.gr is a scientific endeavor founded by Dimitris Zopounidis in December 2020, dedicated to providing comprehensive information and insights into the aviation industry, civil aviation, and air transport management. The website focuses on the business, economic, managerial and operational developments shaping the sector. Adopting a scientific approach, the platform offers analyses, research, expert opinions, key-stories, and interviews with executives, researchers, and professionals active in aviation and tourism in Greece.
Crete Aviation Observatory (CAO) Founded in 2021 by Dimitris Zopounidis, the Crete Aviation Observatory continuously monitors commercial flights, airlines operating at Crete’s international airports (Chania, Heraklion, and Sitia), and civil aircraft traffic. CAO collects both quantitative and qualitative data, publishes findings, and issues an annual industry report.
Academic Collaborations The Project collaborates with academic institutions including CIHEAM MAICh Chania, the Data Science Laboratory (DS Lab) and the Financial Engineering Laboratory (FELab) of the Technical University of Crete. Since 2023, it has also partnered with the Laboratory of Managerial Economics and Decision Systems at the Hellenic Mediterranean University.
Outreach & Partnerships Aviationlife.gr partners with the Financial Engineering and Banking Society (FEBS), supporting national and international conferences through communication sponsorship.
Public Engagement Its presence extends to the “Aviation News” column in Haniotika Nea, Crete’s most widely read newspaper, bringing aviation insights to a broader audience.
Additional Content A podcast series hosted by Dimitris Zopounidis explores aviation trends and challenges, while the “Flight Reviews” section evaluates airline services, airports, and lounges from a passenger experience perspective.
Statement by the Founder
“Through Aviationlife.gr and the Crete Aviation Observatory, my goal is to apply data-driven research and scientific analysis to better understand the dynamics of civil aviation, support evidence-based decision-making, and contribute to the sustainable development of the air transport sector. I am particularly drawn to the aviation industry because of its complexity and the constant, daily challenges it presents, challenges that demand continuous learning, innovation, and analytical thinking.”
Dimitris Zopounidis, PhD Candidate
Dimitris Zopounidis
PhD Candidate & Researcher
Dimitris Zopounidis is a PhD Candidate at the Data Science Laboratory (DS Lab) of the School of Production Engineering and Management at the Technical University of Crete, and a researcher affiliated with the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.
He is currently working on a collaborative project with Alpha Bank focusing on AI Risk Management Methodologies in alignment with the EU AI Act.
He holds an MSc in Business Analytics and Data Science and a BSc in Business Administration from the University of Macedonia.
He is the founder of Aviationlife.gr and the Crete Aviation Observatory (CAO), and serves as Coordinator of the Crete Tourism Observatory at CIHEAM MAICh. He also works as an Airport and Aviation Data Analyst at SeaCrete Hotels and as a Data Analyst at the Hania Hotels Association.
He has also contributed to European-funded projects, including AquaSphere (2026–present) and Sust-HEIn (2024–2025).
He is co-author of the book Artificial Intelligence and Applications in Management (2024) and an active member of the Financial Engineering and Banking Society (FEBS).
https://dimitriszopounidisdslab.github.io/DS-Lab-TUC/
