The Airline Maintenance Mechanic Educational Infrastructure: Supply, Demand, and Evolving Industry Structure

There is an encroaching crisis in the supply and demand of aviation maintenance labor. This paper reports results of a survey of FAA-licensed A&P schools and a survey of airlines and major maintenance outsourcing firms. Results largely confirm general expectations. Further analysis found indications of an impending shakeout in the extant training infrastructure. Strategies centered on tapered vertical integration are offered as an admittedly imperfect industry-wide solution.