Page 11 - AAA MARCH - MAY 2022 Online Magazine

mechanics take much longer to create, and too in the coming years. With a good portion of the nearly 10.000
there is a much more rigorous regulatory bar- aircraft being added to the world fleet going to that region, it’s going
rier to entry. to be even harder to keep up with the number of mechanics and
skill sets required,” he adds.
“Suitably qualified aircraft AMT can take up to
eight years to reach the stage of becoming a ful- The shortage of labour may drive up maintenance costs for air-
ly-licensed AMT. This elongated time scale can lines and increase turnaround times for scheduled maintenance;
significantly impact outdated line maintenance a potentially devastating blow for the industry, as many airlines
processes which give rise to overruns on MRO already struggle to keep profitability at a reasonable level due to
planning time and an upsurge in unplanned low-cost tickets.
tasks,” according to an industry expert, who
didn’t wish to be named. Another reason is Recruiting Dilemma
that the average age of these mechanics in the To some degree, the problem stems from the aircraft maintenance
field right now is 30-50 years old, and over 20 technicians’ current wages, benefits and perks, notes Oliver Wyman,
per cent of technicians are over 64 years old, who conducted a study which showed 51 per cent of respondents
according to the Aviation Technician Education in the MRO industry identified wages and benefits as an obstacle.
Council (AETC) report. This means that about However, wages and benefits aren’t the only issues. According to
35 per cent of the industry will be eligible for ATEC, up to 30 per cent of those who finish an aviation mainte-
retirement in the next five years. nance training course end up working in another industry.

“We believe there will be a shortage of aircraft How to Face It?
maintenance technicians in the next 10 years. Upgrading IT systems and technologies is thought of as one way to
In the US, the average technician is 51 years ease some of the pressure from the labour shortage going forward,
old, which is nine years older than the rest of as it will allow MROs and airlines to optimise their operations and
the workforce. This means that half of the cur- workforce productivity. At a recent MRO event, multiple speakers
rent aircraft mechanics will retire in the next encouraged the industry to consider hiring people with other pro-
10-15 years. It couldn’t have come at a worse fessions than what is usually associated with aerospace. Creating
time for US airlines, as they are in the middle of a more diverse workforce could lead the aviation industry in a new
refleeting and need the seasoned mechanics to and perhaps more efficient direction, they opine. However, this
support the many aircraft coming into service in alone will not be sufficient to combat the impending talent shortage,
the years to come,” comments Brian Prentice, says Prentice. Upgrading technology is just one of three ways that
Partner, Oliver Wyman, in a report published on the industry can prepare for the future labour market, he notes.
the company’s website.
“There are three things that airlines and MROs can do to address
The MRO workforce challenges in aviation this looming technician shortage: First, they can expand the can-
is apparent across the globe. Europe, too, is didate pool – by entering into public-private partnerships in order
facing similar challenges, and although Asia to attract more individuals into the technical profession. Second,
seems to have enough mechanics available they can invest in training to get new mechanics up to proficiency
at the moment, this may not be the case in as quickly as possible. And third, they can invest in technologies
a few years’ time. According to Airbus, the and tools to provide the mechanics what they need at their point
aviation MRO industry will require 635.000 of views,” Prentice explains.
new maintenance technicians by 2037, with
Asia requiring a massive 44 percent of these. Other Challenges

“Executives in Europe report that it’s getting Simultaneously, MRO providers face disruption in the used ser-
harder to attract, develop and retain aircraft viceable materials (USM) market, as the inventory of sidelined and
mechanic and aircraft maintenance technicians retired aircraft are stripped for parts. This cannibalization will create
than it ever has been before,” says Prentice. a substantial ripple effect throughout aviation’s supply chain and
The problem may emerge sooner in Asia, where will make it critical for MRO providers to ensure reliable sources
the bulk of growth in the aircraft fleet is slated of used parts.
to occur. Ultimately, the shortfall may raise the
cost of maintenance for airlines and increase Oliver Wyman forecasts spending on all parts and materials — used
turnaround times for scheduled maintenance. and new — in 2020 will be US$26 billion, down from a pre-COVID
This could potentially force the airlines to retain estimate for the year of US$60 billion. USM will constitute about 11
more spare planes to avoid cancellations and per cent, or US$2.8 billion. In 2019, the market for parts and mate-
late departures resulting from maintenance rials was US$52 billion, of which about nine per cent, or US$4.7
delays. billion, was USM. As observers opine, the MROs and airlines that
are adequately prepared to meet the shortage of labour head-on
“In Asia, though they have enough aircraft and meet the inventory requirements will have a lot to win in the
mechanics today, they might face challenges years to come.

ASIAN AIRLINES & AEROSPACE March_May 2022 | 11