Page 9 - AAA SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2022 Online Magazine

that is expanding; the company expects to
complete work on a 177,000-square-foot
hangar, the second phase of its MRO facil-
ity at the Pensacola International Airport, by
September this year. Construction of Hangars
3 and 4 is scheduled to begin in October this
year and be completed in June 2024.
“For those of you who want to become
an aircraft maintenance technician,
and you’re qualified and certified,
you can almost name your price,”
Steve Boecker, MRO sales executive “Recruiting mechanics has become noticeably more difficult
compared to the pre-crisis period,” says Frank Bayer, Vice
at Delta TechOps President, Human Resources at Lufthansa Technik.

Looming Crisis At a panel discussion held at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical
University earlier this year, top executives from several aviation
According to the Oliver Wyman survey, the companies highlighted the industry’s need for maintenance
lack of enough skilled technicians is the top technicians. “For those of you who want to become an aircraft
disruptor for the industry over the next five maintenance technician, and you’re qualified and certified, you
years. While about 80 per cent of North can almost name your price,” said Steve Boecker, MRO sales
American respondents said that finding avi- executive at Delta TechOps.
ation maintenance technicians (AMTs) has According to Rick Hale, chairman and CEO of Winner Aviation
become challenging, 65 per cent of respon- Corporation, MRO companies are pulling out all the stops to woo
dents and a significant number from other fresh talent. “The segment is offering a lot of perks right now
regions concurred. The shortage, which has to (students) just coming out of school, with signing bonuses,
been exacerbated by the spate of early tool chests and tools being offered, and other perks in the way
retirements during the pandemic and mem- of training.”
bers of the existing workforce switching
to other industries, is most pronounced in Another emerging trend in the industry is onshoring of capacity
North America. According to the U.S. Bureau by airlines and aerospace manufacturers. Learning lessons from
of Labor Statistics, the projected growth the pandemic and result supply chain disruptions, companies
between 2020 and 2030 in the number of are moving to ensure a minimum amount of capacity to fall back
jobs for AMTs is 11 per cent, compared to on in the event of future obstacles such as travel restrictions
an 8 per cent average growth for all occu- and trade wars. Although the trend might fade once Covid-19
pations. According to a 2022 forecast by the becomes a non -factor, domestic maintenance providers are
Canadian Council for Aviation and Aerospace, expected to benefit in the short term.
the country will see a shortage of 58,000
skilled workers by 2028. Initiatives Galore
Europe is also struggling, but not in as dire a
situation. The shortage is not as pronounced Many companies are doing their bit to grow the workforce;
in Asia currently but with the bulk of new one among them is AAR, which has had success with the Eagle
aircraft going to the region over the next two Pathway Program that is designed to meet the growing need
decades, the situation is expected to change for AMTs. The company recently announced a partnership with
by the end of the decade as attracting new Aviation institute of Maintenance (AIM) by which its employ-
talent to the MRO industry has proven to ees will receive a 10 per cent tuition grant towards an AMT
be a challenge across regions. According to program at any of AIM’s 14 campuses nationwide. In 2020, ST
Airbus, the aviation MRO industry will require Engineering offered an entire class of AMT students at George
635,000 new maintenance technicians by Stone Technical College in Pensacola jobs at its facility.
2037, with Asia requiring 44 per cent of In August, Hawaiian Airlines announced that it had teamed
these. Boeing forecasts that the industry will up with Honolulu Community College to expand the college’s
need 610,000 new technicians by 2041, with Aeronautics Maintenance Technology (AERO) program. Two
North America accounting for 22 per cent of Hawaiian Airlines’ AMTs will turn instructors at the college, with
the global demand. China will need 124,000 the program expecting to double enrollment to 100 students by
new technicians while the requirement for Fall 2023. Canada’s KF Aerospace, which does heavy mainte-
Europe and Southeast Asia will be 120,000 nance and modifications for commercial aviation, is doubling
and 58,000 respectively. the number of new recruits it trains.

ASIAN AIRLINES & AEROSPACE SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022 | 9