Today is Aviation Maintenance Day!
May 24th is Aviation Maintenance Technician Day. It falls on the birthday of Charles E. Taylor, known as the Father of Aircraft Maintenance.
In 1902, he constructed the first airplane engine, a 180 pounds and 12 horsepower machine that enabled the first heavier than air machine to achieve controlled flight with a pilot aboard. Since then, aviation has never been the same!
AMT Day recognizes the achievements of those mechanically gifted who keep “people in the air” safe.
Crisis in the making: Concern that the supply of qualified engineers will dry up
The International Federation of Airworthiness (IFA) is not alone in identifying an increasing problem in aviation.
Engineers, technicians, mechanics support the continuing airworthiness of civil aircraft throughout the world. Their efforts, along with their colleagues, keep the industry safe. Keep flying safe for you and me.
The COVID pandemic has passed. With it there was a wave of retirements and people leaving the industry. Nowhere near enough younger people are being trained, recruited and retained to replace this exodus.
Couple that with the opportunities that attract people away from engineering because of demanding working conditions, long hours, schedules with last-minute changes and relatively poor pay levels and major problems are developing.
Yet the world’s airline fleets are growing, and the airlines need more qualified people. The new generation of maintenance engineers will require a new set of skills.
IFA calls for urgent action:
- Industry, government and authorities must create an environment where aviation professionals are respected, valued and properly compensated for critical safety work.
- A revolution is needed in aviation education and training to open opportunities to a wider cohort.
- Working conditions, access to mental health support and rewards must be improved.
Aviation engineering roles are becoming less and less appealing to young people. This must be turned around. There’s no quick fix. Action is needed now.
John Vincent
CEO, International Federation of Airworthiness
Airworthiness “State of the Industry” – Literature Review and Summary
This Position Paper was commissioned to summarise the current issues in Aircraft Maintenance, drawn from current work in various aeronautical bodies and general activity in the industry. It highlights some of the priority areas we are seeing, and some possible ways in which they might be addressed. It is intended as a basis to open the discussion, not to deliver a single definitive truth.
It is probably rather focused on the ‘Western’ world, and it would benefit from some input from members in other regions. We would welcome your comments, and if you are from a region that has different or additional issues, please do contribute them. We could use these inputs to update the paper to incorporate your experiences.
The Author is Dr. Simon Gill, a busy Consultant with a focus on design related maintenance issues, a Member of the Air Transport Advisory Board and CHIRP Trust, a lecturer on University courses in aviation, an active member of the RAeS Maintenance Group, and a PhD in Aircraft Maintenance gained during his time as Human Factors Manager at Airbus. Simon is open to receiving your comments and looks forward to hearing from you.IFA Paper Airworthiness State of the Industry Literature Review and Summary
