Mert Kutlu ’10, Elevating a Career
Mert Kutlu earned his bachelor of science in aviation management from Florida Tech in 2010 and has since gone on to become the youngest first officer with Turkish Airlines. He achieved the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Airmen Certification, given to pilots who have exceeded the FAA’s educational, licensing, and medical standards.
In 2016, just four years after joining Turkish Airlines, Mert became the company’s youngest captain candidate ever with more than 4,000 hours of flight time. “Eventually, my career plan is to be involved in the political side of the transportation industry. I want to incorporate what I learned at Florida Tech and other institutions into legislation and making people’s lives easier,” he said.
Mert is currently a board member with Lens Yapi, a leading building and development firm in Istanbul. The firm is building the largest residential and commercial project in Turkey as well as building one of the tallest buildings in Europe.
In addition to his time at Florida Tech, Kutlu also studied sustainability at the University of Westminster—particularly related to future uses of the London Olympic Stadium—and global politics at the London School of Economics. He is currently pursuing graduate studies in political science in Turkey.
Kutlu was featured in Florida Tech’s 60th Anniversary special edition book, “60 for 60: Celebrating Sixty Years of Alumni at Florida Institute of Technology.” Copies are available for purchase here.
