British Airways Taps U.S. MRO Talent Through Unique Pathway Program

British Airways is proactively seeking to boost its talent pool abroad by launching what it says is a first-of-its-kind MRO workforce initiative for an international airline in the U.S.

The airline has partnered with the Aviation Institute of Maintenance (AIM) to recruit students who will undergo on-the-job training at its bases in the UK and at some of the airline’s U.S. stations.

Modeled after British Airways’ Engineering Cadet Scheme, which it has been building over the past two years, the U.S. program will enroll cadets from AIM campuses who have completed two years of technical training. Selected cadets will participate in a five-year training program that will provide a direct pathway to careers at the airline.

The program will start with onboarding at British Airways’ London Heathrow base, followed by three years of training that will include shadowing some of the airline’s 153 U.S.-based engineers. Cadets will also spend time in the UK training alongside the British Airways' UK apprentices at either London Heathrow or the airline's base maintenance facility in Cardiff.

British Airways is investing $2 million in the U.S. program and offering a comprehensive benefits package for participants, including tuition reimbursement, healthcare coverage, paid time off, a 401k plan and travel benefits.

Prior to this program, the airline has handled its U.S. maintenance staffing needs by a combination of recruiting qualified local talent or training technicians in Europe and sending them to work in the U.S. However, both strategies can be challenging, particularly in light of the MRO industry’s workforce shortage.

British Airways says the program is aimed at capturing talent early in their careers while bridging the experience gap, since engineers must have at least five years of experience and meet several other prerequisites—such as successfully completing a certified Part 145 type rating course—to work on its aircraft in the U.S.

According to Joel English, president and CEO at AIM, most European airlines have typically looked within their own continent for European Union Aviation Safety Agency certificated technicians, so British Airways is the first European airline to approach the school for support in finding qualified maintenance workforce. AIM also has a longstanding training partnership with Saudia Airlines, through which it has trained more than 100 technicians to take FAA examinations before returning to Saudi Arabia to work.

“I think it’s fair to say that the FAA’s Part 147 standards and airframe and powerplant (A&P) certification have set the global standard for safety and technical proficiency. To see two major international airlines accept the FAA and A&P certification as equivalent to their own countries’ certifications is not surprising, but it is refreshing,” English tells Aviation Week Network.

He adds that British Airways is most interested in AIM’s certified graduates, so cadet positions are typically being offered to students who have already begun the FAA testing process. Students are also required to have A&P certifications to begin work at the airline, “so A&P certification is a must for students who are selected for this program.”

British Airways already enrolled six cadets from Chicago in November, and it is currently recruiting six more candidates in the New York City area. The airline says selected cadets will be serving and maintaining British Airways aircraft that land at Chicago O’Hare International Airport, John F. Kennedy International Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport. They will also provide support to British Airways’ partner airlines.

The airline says it plans to expand the program to other locations across the U.S. later in 2025. British Airways currently operates to 26 U.S. cities from London.

AIM also has international expansion ambitions. “An ultimate goal of ours is to plant an AIM campus within the home country of some of our international partners, as the FAA grows comfortable with certificating campuses outside of our own borders,” says English. “I’m so proud of our partnership with British Airways, and I see this partnership as a true step forward toward our international plans.”

Applications for the New York-based cadet positions will be open to students from all AIM campuses until Dec. 20.