Joakim Karlsson is a Professor of Aviation Policy and Management in the School of Aviation Sciences. He teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in airport operations, aviation management, international air transportation, and air transportation economics, including:

His research interests focus on air transportation economics and the public administration and financing of air transportation infrastructure, including:

He is a recognized expert on aviation taxes and user fees, with several published papers on the topic. He serves as co-principal investigator for the MIT Airline Ticket Tax Project.

Professor Karlsson holds a BSE in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering from Princeton University, an MS in Aeronautics and Astronautics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and an MA in Economics from the University of New Hampshire. He holds an MIT Research Affiliate appointment and is a designated University Representative to the Transportation Research Board of the National Academies.

He was previously served as the Chief of Airport Development for the State of New Hampshire. He has over ten years of experience in airport planning at several consulting firms, working for domestic and international clients.