Page 26 - AAA NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2017 Online Magazine

FeAtUre WorK ForCe
F e A t U re W or K F or C e

Trouble in the Offing

The shortage of qualified aircraft maintenance technicians is likely to hit the Asia Pacific
region and U.S. the hardest
By Arun Sivasankaran

tHe introdUCtion oF neW generAtion Growing Need demand in the Middle East region will be for
aircraft, the increasing use of augmented According to Boeing’s 2017 Pilot and 66,000 technicians. Africa will need 23,000
reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR), Technician Outlook, the commercial new technicians while Russia/CIS will see a
predictive and prescriptive maintenance, aviation industry will require 648,000 new demand for 25,000 additional AMTs.
big data - all of these have the potential to commercial airline maintenance technicians Interestingly, the 2017 outlook shows a
revolutionize the aviation MRO industry, but (AMTs) between 2017 and 2036. The demand 4.6 percent decrease in the need for airline
the impending crisis due to the shortage of is not just for AMTs; Boeing predicts that maintenance technicians, compared to the
aircraft maintenance technicians within the the industry will also need 637,000 new 2016 outlook. The decrease, according to
next decade could upset all calculations. commercial airline pilots and 839,000 Boeing as well as industry experts, is due
The Asia Pacific region, which will see the additional cabin crew members. to the increasing use of new generation
most growth over the next decade, will face With Asia-Pacific expected to lead the airplanes and the resultant improved
the brunt of it, but the problem is truly global world both in fleet growth and MRO activity, airplane reliability. This will help moderate
in nature. If the lack of adequate number of the demand is greatest in the region. The the demand somewhat by allowing longer
qualified technicians in the Asia-Pacific is region will need 256,000 new technicians, intervals between maintenance checks.
due to the paucity of skilled labor, the surge 253,000 pilots and 308,000 cabin crew With carriers expected to start introducing
in fleet size and the resultant increase in members in the next 20 years. North new generation aircraft at an increasing
MRO activity, commercial MRO providers America, in second position, will need 118,000 rate in the coming years, retirements of
and airline MROs in the U.S. are having to technicians, 117,000 pilots and 154,000 cabin about 10,000 older technology aircraft is
deal with the ageing of current maintenance crew members during the same period. The expected during the period. The entry of new
technician workforce and the lack of enough corresponding numbers for Europe are airplanes and technological advances are
new talent to draw from. 111,000, 106,000 and 173,000. Latin America expected to drive an increased demand for
will need 49,000 new technicians while the technicians skilled in avionics, composites,
26 ASIAN AIRLINES & AEROSPACE NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2017 WWW.GBP.COM.SG/AAA