Blockchain and AI for Cybersecurity in Aviation IoT Systems

Aviation relies heavily on interconnected digital systems. Aircraft use IoT sensors for flight monitoring, predictive maintenance, and passenger services. Airports depend on IoTenabled baggage handling, air traffic control, and security screening. While these systems increase efficiency, they also expand the cyberattack surface. Attacks on aviation IoT could disrupt flights, compromise safety, and damage trust in global transport. Traditional centralized defenses cannot manage the complexity and scale of aviation IoT networks. This paper studies the role of blockchain and artificial intelligence (AI) in securing aviation IoT. Blockchain provides decentralized authentication and immutable event logging. AI delivers anomaly detection, predictive analytics, and adaptive defense. Methodology includes case study analysis, blockchain pilots in aviation, AI anomaly detection models, and integrated simulations. The findings show that blockchain-AI frameworks strengthen aviation resilience, though challenges of scalability, latency, and regulation remain. By 2035, blockchain-AI cybersecurity is expected to be standard in aviation worldwide.