IFA John Saull Memorial Event brings the airworthiness community together at Cranfield
Tuesday 10 November 2026 | Cranfield University
The International Federation of Airworthiness (IFA) welcomed members, industry colleagues and guests to Cranfield University on Tuesday 10 November for the 2026 IFA John Saull Memorial Event.
The event brought together people from across the aviation and airworthiness community, with a mix of industry insight, discussion, recognition and networking throughout the day.
It was an opportunity for long-standing members and those newer to the industry to reconnect, share experience and consider some of the challenges facing the future of aviation and airworthiness.
Industry insight from Mick Adams and David Malins
A key feature of the morning was a two-part presentation from Mick Adams and David Malins, exploring the challenges and experience involved in returning an Airbus A380 to service following long-term storage.
The sessions provided an opportunity to look behind the scenes at the engineering, maintenance and airworthiness considerations involved in returning a very large aircraft to flight after an extended period on the ground.
The presentations were deliberately not recorded, allowing the speakers and attendees to have a more open and candid discussion.
Celebrating achievement and supporting the next generation
The event also provided an opportunity to recognise both current achievement and the future of the profession.
The IFA / John Saull / Cranfield University Scholarship was presented, supporting the development of the next generation of aviation and airworthiness professionals.
The Frank Whittle Safety Award was also presented, recognising an outstanding contribution to aviation safety.
Both awards reflect IFA’s commitment to supporting the development of the profession while recognising those who have made a significant contribution to aviation safety and airworthiness.
A special thank you to John Vincent
The event also included a special moment to recognise John Vincent, who has given 10 years of service as IFA Chief Executive Officer.
John has made a significant contribution to the Federation during that time, helping to develop IFA’s activities, relationships and profile within the wider aviation and airworthiness community.
Members and colleagues took the opportunity to thank John for his commitment and contribution to IFA over the past decade.
What happens if the Engineer Capacity Gap is unsolved?
Following lunch, attendees took part in an interactive round-table discussion exploring one of the major challenges facing the aviation industry:
“What happens if the Engineer Capacity Gap is unsolved?”
The discussion began with evidence of the scale of the challenge, including findings from recent industry surveys highlighting concerns around workforce capacity.
Rather than focusing solely on how to recruit more engineers, the discussion explored what the consequences of an unresolved capacity gap could be for the wider aviation and airworthiness system.
Among the issues raised were:
- The potential impact on aircraft availability and maintenance capacity.
- Increasing pressure on independent MROs and the continuing trend towards insourcing.
- The effect of engineer shortages on the wider airworthiness workforce, including CAMO, training, technical and management roles.
- The importance of attracting young people into aviation engineering at an earlier age.
- The need to make engineering more visible, exciting and attractive as a career.
- The potential for a more coordinated, industry-wide approach to apprenticeships and training.
- The challenges of relying increasingly on international recruitment to fill skills gaps.
- How technology and predictive maintenance may change the number and type of engineering skills required.
- The potential implications for aviation safety, resilience and national capability.
One of the strongest themes was the recognition that many organisations are already doing valuable work, but often independently.
The discussion highlighted the potential value of a more coordinated industry approach, bringing together employers, education, regulators and government to address the longer-term challenge.
Behind the scenes at Cranfield
The day concluded with an opportunity to visit Cranfield University’s accident investigation crash laboratory, providing attendees with a fascinating insight into another important aspect of aviation safety and investigation.
The visit provided a fitting conclusion to a day focused on the people, skills and expertise that underpin safe aviation.
Looking ahead
The John Saull Memorial Event continues to provide an important opportunity for the IFA community to come together — not only to remember the contribution of John Saull, but to discuss the issues that will shape the future of airworthiness.
From the future engineering workforce to technological change, safety and professional development, the discussions at this year’s event demonstrated the value of bringing different generations and perspectives from across the industry together.
IFA would like to thank Cranfield University, our speakers, award recipients, members, guests and everyone who contributed to the discussions for making the 2026 John Saull Memorial Event such a valuable and engaging day.
