The United States is grappling with a shortage of maintenance workers in the aviation industry, with baby boomers retiring and others changing jobs during the pandemic.
This comes as the global commercial aircraft fleet is set to reach a third by 2034, involving more than 36,400 ships, according to a recent study by consultancy Oliver Wyman.
In its wake, spending in the maintenance, repair and overhaul market is projected to grow by nearly 20% by 2034.
But the sector suffers from a lack of skilled manpower — and an inadequate pipeline of talent.
There are about 24,000 aircraft maintenance technicians in North America, a number expected to reach nearly 40,000 by 2028, notes Oliver Wyman.
This gap cannot be filled by the prestigious Aviation High School on Long Island with its cohorts totaling 2,000 students.
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“I don’t think the Aviation High Schools have enough capacity to train enough people,” said Steven Jackson, director of the Aviation High School in Long Island City.
“We are one of the largest high schools and it would be difficult to grow that further,” he added.
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The school is one of 28 certified by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and trains future aircraft maintenance technicians who can either enter the workforce after high school or continue their studies at universities.
“The job market is good and there’s more money, so right now more people are going straight to work than before,” Jackson told AFP.
In the United States, approximately 4,000 maintenance, repair, and overhaul companies employ approximately 185,000 aircraft maintenance technicians and engineers. That makes up about 44 percent of the global total, according to the Aeronautical Repair Station Association.
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“Working as an engineer opens up so many opportunities,” Fariha Rahman, 17, told AFP in a JetBlue maintenance hangar during a Career Discovery Week.
“I want to start with maintenance and work my way up,” the high school student added.
Another student, 15-year-old Gabby Moreno, added: “It’s such a great industry.”
“There are so many different jobs, so many perks and discounts for flights and other things like insurance,” he added.
AlixPartners expert Pascal Fabre emphasizes that the training of maintenance technicians should be accelerated.
To boost the attractiveness of aviation maintenance, Congress passed legislation in 2018 that allows the FAA to provide ad hoc grants.
As a result, $13.5 million was awarded in March to 32 schools, 20 of which would specifically help train maintenance professionals.
“Because so many aviation jobs are critical to business, any continued shortage could ultimately result in the sector’s growth being constrained,” Oliver Wyman noted in a previous report.
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Quality issues
In a 2023-2042 outlook, aviation giant Boeing predicts “strong” long-term demand for new aviation personnel.
There is a need for about 690,000 new maintenance technicians to help maintain the global commercial fleet over the next 20 years, according to Boeing.
The maintenance, repair and overhaul sector is “low capacity and hangar maintenance positions are in high demand, especially as aircraft manufacturers’ delivery delays mean older aircraft are flying for longer periods, requiring more maintenance,” Fabre added.
The two major aircraft manufacturers, Boeing and Airbus, are completely shut down until almost the end of the decade and are piling up delays.
Meanwhile, airlines are ramping up orders as they try to capitalize on strong demand from travelers and build fuel-efficient fleets.
“The pressure to produce and the retirement of many skilled baby boomers during COVID may also be contributing to some of the quality control issues plaguing the industry,” added the recent Oliver Wyman report.
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According to experts, the departures have led to a halt in the transfer of know-how between experienced and new technicians.
Since 2023, Boeing has suffered production problems and multiple incidents in its 737 MAX series, prompting the FAA to launch an audit of its quality control.
In early January, an Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9 suffered a door cap explosion while in flight.
Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun recently announced he will step down by the end of the year in a leadership shakeup as the company faces tough scrutiny.
Previously, two fatal 737 MAX crashes — one in 2018 and one in 2019 — grounded the plane for nearly two years.
Beyond the manufacturers, United Airlines is also in the crosshairs of the FAA, which is reviewing its safety procedures after several recent incidents.
Source: AFP