Software Engineer

Arora welcomes Enrique Melendez, Director of Aviation Technology Planning. Arora Engineers (Arora) is proud to welcome Enrique Melendez, C.M., PMP, as Director of Aviation Technology Planning. Enrique brings more than 30 years of aviation technology leadership experience, helping airports around the world modernize operations through innovative IT, security, systems integration, and digital transformation solutions. Throughout his career, he has partnered with airports, airlines, and federal agencies to deliver technology strategies that improve operational efficiency, enhance the passenger experience, and prepare airports for the future. As Director of Aviation Technology Planning, Enrique will lead the expansion of Arora's Airport Technology Planning and Advisory services, supporting clients with airport technology master planning, digital airport initiatives, operational technology (OT) consulting, systems integration, technology roadmaps, and owner advisory services. He will also help strengthen Arora's aviation consulting practice by building relationships with airport leaders and advancing innovative technology solutions that complement the firm's engineering and design expertise. Enrique joins Arora following leadership roles with The JW Group, Leidos, Jacobs, Faith Group, and ARINC, where he led major airport technology programs across North America and internationally. His experience spans more than 80 airports and includes pioneering work in airport operations centers, common-use systems, enterprise data strategies, biometrics, artificial intelligence, and intelligent airport technologies. Beyond his consulting experience, Enrique is an active leader in the aviation industry. He is a Certified Member of the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE) and serves on the Airports Council International (ACI) Board of Directors, where he is a member of the IT and Security Committee, the BIT Steering Group, and Co-Lead of the Data Analytics Working Group. He has also served on the Airport Consultants Council (ACC) Board of Directors and as former Chair/Vice-Chair of the Information Technology & Systems Committee. Additionally, Enrique is a former BWI Airport Commissioner, a TSA Airport Security Design Guideline Chapter Leader, a Transportation Research Board/Airport Cooperative Research Program (TRB/ACRP) IT Panel Member, and a member of the Project Management Institute (PMI). Please join Arora Engineers in welcoming Enrique to Arora Engineers. Arora Engineers look forward to the expertise and leadership he will bring as Arora Engineers continue delivering innovative infrastructure solutions for its aviation clients.

First successful end-to-end over-the-air Misbehavior Detection and automated V2X security enforcement. June 15, 2026 At the OmniAir Maryland Plugfest on Wednesday, June 3, with a focus on Cybersecurity, OmniTrust, and Leidos successfully demonstrated the first end-to-end over-the-air (OTA) misbehavior detection workflow, triggering a complete V2X security response pipeline after eight years of technology introduction and evolution. Rather than stopping at message generation and validation, the demonstration exercised the full operational chain, showing how misbehavior can be detected, reported, processed, and enforced across a live, interoperable environment. The demonstrated workflow aligns with established V2X security standards: message signing and verification follow IEEE 1609.2; certificate provisioning and revocation are managed in accordance with IEEE 1609.2.1; and misbehavior reporting and processing are consistent with SAE J3287. Qualcomm provided the V2X platform and misbehavior detection capabilities, OmniTrust supplied the Security Credential Management System (SCMS) services, and Leidos integrated the end-to-end workflow and validation processes. During the verification demonstration, a misbehaving Basic Safety Message (BSM) broadcast via Cellular-V2X direct Radio is detected by the Misbehavior Detection and Reporting software. This triggers a sequence of automated security actions. A misbehavior report was generated and securely uploaded to a Security Credential Management System (SCMS) provider, where both the report and the associated BSM signature were validated. The SCMS provider then issued an updated Certificate Revocation List (CRL), which was distributed across the network. On-board units (OBUs) and roadside units (RSUs), including the originating device, successfully updated their CRLs, preventing the misbehaving device from signing or transmitting additional messages. The most significant aspect of the demonstration was that every participating device independently received, processed, and enforced the updated CRL without interoperability issues. The exercise also included two distinct V2X modules built on different hardware platforms, Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) protocol stacks, and security implementations, validating cross-vendor interoperability under realistic operating conditions. Building on this success, OmniTrust and Leidos utilized OmniAir's test cases developed specifically for SAE J3287 standards, which verified interoperability for misbehavior detection and reporting (MBD/MBR) with multiple independent SCMS providers, including SAESOL Tech and Autocrypt. These achievements directly support the broader objectives of the USDOT Misbehavior Test Tool, which is designed to verify V2X message integrity, identify anomalous behavior, and confirm that communications originate from trusted, properly credentialed sources. By enabling end-to-end misbehavior detection and response, the tool strengthens the integrity of safety-critical data and reinforces confidence in connected vehicle communications. More broadly, this milestone highlights the value of industry collaboration in advancing interoperable V2X security. Rather than validating isolated components, the Plugfest testing exercised a complete security workflow spanning detection, reporting, credential management, and enforcement across multiple vendors and implementations. The successful execution of this end-to-end process represents an important step toward scalable, secure, and resilient connected-vehicle deployments, demonstrating that connected-vehicle systems can not only communicate effectively but also respond appropriately to security threats and misbehavior. With the methodology proven, misbehavior attributes can be expanded to encompass critical BSM elements, thereby providing trusted communications. About OmniAir Consortium OmniAir Consortium is the leading industry association promoting interoperability and certification for ITS, tolling, and connected vehicles. OmniAir's membership includes public agencies, private companies, research institutions, and independent test laboratories. Learn more at www.omniair.org.