WICHITA, Kan. (AP) A shortage of skilled workers is a growing concern for companies that repair and maintain airplanes in Kansas.
Lynn Nichols, who has a fixed-base operation, Yingling Aviation, which does aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul told The Wichita Eagle that theres a tight labor market for aviation skill sets.
Nichols said there is an increased demand for airframe and powerplant mechanics, and avionics technicians.
We need more just to keep up with the growth in aerospace, said Nichols.
The 2018 Global Fleet & MRO Market Assessment estimates the global aviation maintenance market will grow to $114 billion in 2028 from $77.4 billion this year.
The report commissioned by the Aeronautical Repair Station Association also shows a shortage of aircraft mechanics less than four years from now. According to the report there will be a 10 percent shortage of mechanics by 2028.
We can now point to 2022 as the year of reckoning, said Brett Levanto, ARSAs vice president of communications.
A tight supply of aircraft maintenance workers is already becoming an issue for Textron Aviation, the maker of Cessna and Beechcraft airplanes, which depend on a steady supply of airframe and powerplant mechanics and avionics technicians for its chain of aircraft service centers.
