Bipartisan House Bill Takes Aim at Aviation Maintenance Skills Gap
WASHINGTON – A bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced legislation on May 8 to address one of the most pressing challenges facing the U.S. aviation industry: the chronic technician shortage.
The bill sponsored by Reps. Sam Graves (R-Mo.), Dan Lipinski (D-Ill.), Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) and Brenda Lawrence (D-Mich.) is the House companion to Senate legislation introduced in March. It creates a new program administered by the Federal Aviation Administration to provide grants of up to $500,000 to support aviation maintenance workforce development activities. The legislation incentivizes local collaboration by requiring that grant applications be jointly submitted by a business or labor organization, school and governmental entity.
Analysis by Boeing suggests that 118,000 new technicians will be needed in North America over the next two decades. The consulting firm Oliver Wyman has forecast that demand for aviation maintenance technicians will outstrip supply by 2022.
The results of the Aeronautical Repair Station’s Association’s (ARSA) 2018 member survey further underscore the need for the legislation: More than 80 percent of respondents reported difficulty finding qualified technicians and more than half of responding companies have unfilled positions. As a result, companies say they are taking longer to complete work for customers, choosing not to add new technical capabilities and that in some cases turning down new business. ARSA estimates its members will forego as much $642.5 million in revenue this year if the projected 2,500 vacant positions at member companies remain unfilled.
The aviation workforce legislation has broad support from business and labor. A May 8 letter coordinated by ARSA in support of the House bill was signed by 19 other leading organizations, including the Aerospace Industries Association, the Aerospace Maintenance Council, the Aircraft Electronics Association, the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association, the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, Airlines for America, the Aviation Suppliers Association, the Aviation Technician Education Council, the Cargo Airline Association, the General Aviation Manufacturers Association, Helicopter Association International, the Modification and Replacement Parts Association, the National Air Carrier Association, the National Air Transportation Association, the National Association of State Aviation Officials, the National Business Aviation Association, the Professional Aviation Maintenance Association, the Regional Air Cargo Carriers Association and the Regional Airline Association. The National League of Cities has also voiced its support for the proposal and is a member of the ARSA-led coalition.
“The skills gap in the aviation maintenance industry is reaching crisis proportions,” ARSA Executive Vice President Christian Klein said. “It threatens to undermine both the efficiency of our aviation system and the ability of U.S. aerospace companies to seize opportunities in the growing global marketplace.”
“We sincerely appreciate Representatives Graves, Lipinski, Mullin and Lawrence taking the lead on this important issue and look forward to working with them and our industry allies to enact their bill into law.”
ARSA is the only association devoted to the unique needs of the global civil aviation maintenance industry. It is dedicated to helping member companies operate more efficiently and effectively, while continuing to ensure the safety of aircraft worldwide. To learn more about the association’s work on behalf of both industry stakeholders and the flying public, please visit ARSA.org.
