The Iberia Maintenance Training Centre celebrates its 20th anniversary as an EASA 147 centre thanks to the approval of the Spanish Aviation Safety and Security Agency (AESA), which enables it to provide type training to those professionals with an Aircraft Maintenance Licence in the categories of Mechanics* (B1) or Avionics (B2); so that new type ratings (fleet-engine) can be included in the licence. This step is required to subsequently be authorised as an aircraft certifier, which makes it possible to certify the entry into service of an aircraft following work carried out within the scope of that category.
Iberia Maintenance is the only training centre in Spain approved to provide training 147 on the Airbus 320 and 350 families, including the A320, A330, A340 and A350 fleets in all their engines.
The centre has classroom simulation devices under Airbus licence, making it one of the few centres in Europe to have this technology. It also offers access to a full aircraft simulator for taxiing courses, as well as access to the aircraft Iberia Maintenance overhauls at its facilities for practice.
Since approval in 2004, more than 10,000 students have been trained at the Iberia Training Centre. Currently, the centre has 16 instructors with the 147´s approval.
In addition to being an EASA 147-approved centre, the Iberia Maintenance Training Centre provides and coordinates technical training in the different maintenance business areas: engines, aircraft and components. It offers these services to third-party customers.
More than 50 instructors, support staff and content developers work in all the aforementioned areas. In 2023, more than 150,000 training hours/student were delivered in the different modalities.
"We are proud to celebrate the 20th anniversary as an EASA 147 centre. During these two decades, we have achieved our goal: to support the evolution of the MRO sector and facilitate the professional development of people through highly qualified training," says Ignacio de la Iglesia, manager of the Iberia Maintenance Training Centre. "One of the strengths of our training centre is that it is integrated into Iberia Maintenance's production units, which makes it easier to have the best instructors with extensive real-world experience, and employees who wish to continue studying can do so without having to leave their place of work," said de la Iglesia.
Aeronautical Maintenance Technicians, a key figure in aviation
Aeronautical Maintenance Technicians (AMT) are an essential part of the aviation sector and, of course, of Iberia. That is why is necessary that the generational change takes place to keep up with demand in the sector and that those who are already in the industry continue training.
"For an aircraft or engine to be able to fly after a repair or overhaul, a certifier must sign that all the established procedures have been complied with, following the approved manuals and leaving traceability of all the tasks carried out," says de la Iglesia.
Iberia Maintenance currently has more than 2,500 TMAs in its workforce in the different production areas. The variety of areas has a wide range of training profiles: basic training 147, training cycles in aeromechanics, avionics, assembly of structures, machining, composite materials, verification, painting and electromechanics, among many others.
In addition, over the last year, TMA's workforce has registered one of the most accelerated evolutions in recent months with the incorporation of nearly 450 professionals to the team.
But the relevance of TMAs will be even more prominent in the future, given that the world fleet is expected to increase by 28% in the next 10 years, which will lead to an increase in demand of around 33,000 new professionals per year.
This trend also speaks to Iberia's commitment to vocational training programmes, as more than 30% of recruits are students who have completed their training at Iberia Maintenance.
However, there is a challenging context, especially in terms of workforce renewal and the introduction of women in this industry. In total, in Spain, 33.7% of students enrolled in vocational training and, of these, 4.8% chose the vehicle maintenance branch, with only 0.4% being women.
