Notable year-over-year upticks in FAA-issued mechanic certificates and enrollment at certified training schools are positive trends, but more workforce pipeline growth is needed to meet projected demand for aviation maintenance technicians, a new industry report shows.
The FAA issued just more than 9,000 new mechanic certificates last year, or 4% below 2023’s record-setting annual total, the latest edition of the Pipeline Report shows. Aviation maintenance technician schools (AMTS) saw enrollment increase 9%, suggesting that efforts to increase AMTS contributions to the pipeline are paying off. Total graduates decreased 5% from 2023’s record-setting figure of just more than 10,000, the report, produced annually by the Aviation Technician Education Council (ATEC) and Oliver Wyman, said.
But increasing demand and projected retirements are expected to leave commercial aviation with 10% fewer certificated mechanics than it needs this year, the report said. Add in demand from business and general aviation and the role of non-certified technicians, and the gap is larger.
Oliver Wyman estimates the U.S. commercial aviation maintenance workforce—including both certificated mechanics and non-certified technicians—numbers about 431,000 personnel.
Expanding demand and worker retirements are expected to drive a 10% shortage in certified mechanics to meet commercial aviation needs this year. This shortfall is projected to soften to 6% by the end of the decade but not surpass demand, representing a gap of 4,200 certificated mechanics in 2035.
“We’re seeing some measurably positive trends at the grassroots level, building interest in pursuing aviation maintenance and the training needed to earn an FAA certificate,” ATEC President and WSU Tech VP Aviation & Workforce Development Jim Hall said. “Near-term challenges will include bolstering these trends while ensuring that we have enough specialized personnel, notably instructors and examiners, to support it.”
Despite the enrollment growth at schools that prepare students to earn airframe and powerplant (A&P) certificates, the instructor workforce remained flat in 2024.
“As demand for technical talent grows, AMTS face steep competition from industry, where salaries are significantly higher,” the report said. Compensation is a major issue—part of a larger challenge of having sufficient resources that many AMTS’s reported as part of a survey conducted for the report. ATEC, through its ATEC Academy, is spearheading efforts to target retired mechanics and offer training that supports a transition into teaching.
Availability of designated mechanic examiners (DMEs) that give oral and practical tests needed for certification is also an issue. The FAA reported 254 active DMEs in 2024, down slightly from 2023. They handled 11,600 tests, or about 2,000 more than in 2023.
The FAA is working on expanding its organization designation authorization (ODA) program to allow other industry experts, such as AMTS faculty, to administer tests through established, FAA-approved ODA units attached to their organizations. But a final policy is still in development.
ATEC projects that industry needs about 75 more DMEs—a 30% increase—to meet projected testing demand.
Related Content
