​The Aviation Industry faces significant challenges with the increasing shortage of qualified aircraft engineering and maintenance staff.

As the industry grows, and if these shortages are not addressed, there will be implications for safety, reliability, efficiency, and the long-term growth of aviation in the UK.

Qualified professional engineers and technicians are vital to ensure aircraft safety and reliability. Their responsibilities range from design, manufacture, maintenance, repair, overhaul, modification, testing aircraft / systems and much more, all of which are carried out to the highest standards.

For many years demand for these roles has outpaced the resources required, leading to a significant and growing skills gap.

Factors contributing to shortage include:

1. Insufficient Training Pipeline: New entrants into Aviation have not kept up with demand. There is insufficient capacity in current training programs and apprenticeships to provide enough qualified personnel.

2. Decline of Aircraft production in the UK: As Aircraft manufacturing sites in the UK closed, alternative supplies of trained and qualified engineers and technicians dried up.

3. Aging Workforce: A large portion of the current workforce is approaching retirement age, creating an urgent need for new talent to fill these roles.

4. Stringent Regulatory Requirements: To become a licensed aircraft engineer requires extensive training and certification, which can deter candidates.

5. Impact of Brexit: The UK's exit from the European Union has affected the availability of qualified staff, reducing the supply of readily available talent from EU countries.

A work visa or sponsorship is required for candidates that are non UK citizens to work in the UK and many companies are not willing to provide sponsorship.

The Licences for these engineers are no longer valid in the UK, and they need to obtain a CAA Licence.

6. Post-Pandemic: The aviation industry is rebounding from the impact of COVID-19, and demand for air travel has surged, which has exposed workforce shortages that were masked during the downturn.

Implications for the Aviation Industry

The shortage of qualified aircraft engineers and maintenance staff presents several risks to the UK aviation sector:

• Safety: Insufficient availability of engineers and maintenance staff leads to increased workloads for existing staff, which risks errors and potential safety lapses.

• Increased Costs: The shortage of qualified engineers and maintenance staff drives up wages and recruitment expenses, impacting airline and maintenance organisation budgets.

• Delays: Airlines may face longer turnaround times for maintenance, resulting in flight delays and cancellations.

• Restricted Growth: The lack of available engineering and maintenance talent could limit the industry’s ability to expand and adopt new and future technologies such as new innovative designs, sustainable aviation fuels, and electric aircraft. As airlines expand their aircraft fleets, the scope of the problem will increase.

Potential Solutions

Addressing this critical shortage requires a multifaceted approach:

1. Education and Training: Expanding training programs and creating partnerships between educational institutions and the aviation industry can help develop a robust pipeline of talent to support future requirement for innovation, new future technology, and sustainability. Scholarships and grants could also more young people to pursue careers in aircraft engineering.

For example, Cranfield University and Dassault Systems are collaborating for a Centre of Excellence, focusing on digital skills. Ref: Royal Aeronautical Society article skills-shortage-what-can-be-done-right-now/ .

2. More Apprenticeships: Apprenticeships provide training, hands-on experience, and a clear path to certification. Increasing the number of apprenticeship opportunities could attract more entrants to the field.

Some UK companies, for example, Airbus, MBDA, Atkins & Babcock have pledged to increase the recruitment of apprentices and graduates into the UK workforce by 5% of their headcount on formalised apprentice, student and / or graduate programmes. Ref: Aerospace Global News article addressing-the-skills-gap-in-the-aviation-industry .

3. Training and certification improvements: Part 147 training courses for Part 66 licence is not accessible to many that are in work. More flexible /alternative options of study would encourage more students.

4. Leveraging talent from other industries: During previous downturns and COVID, engineers and maintenance staff find work in other industries. Although they do not have recent experience in Aviation, they do have transferable skills, and companies in Aviation could provide brief refresher / conversion training.

Engineers and maintenance staff leaving or have left the military could also benefit from civil aviation conversion familiarisation training.

5. International Recruitment: Adapting visa requirements to address shortages and creating targeted recruitment campaigns internationally could attract experienced engineers from other countries.

Improvements for the application / conversion of Licences from other countries to CAA in the UK could also help.

6. Technology Integration: Increased use of automation and advanced diagnostic tools can help reduce some of the workload for engineers and improve efficiency.

Conclusion

The shortage of qualified aircraft engineering and maintenance staff is a growing issue that requires attention from policymakers, industry leaders, and educational institutions.

Some organisations and educational establishments are working towards addressing some of the shortages, and much more needs to be done.

By investing in training, promoting increased manufacturing in aviation, and leveraging technology, the UK aviation sector can help address this challenge and ensure a safe, efficient, and sustainable future for air travel.

Collaboration, Investment and proactive measures implemented today will help ensure a resilient aviation industry into the future.