Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) organizations across commercial and defense sectors are facing mounting challenges that are only exacerbating existing labor shortages. It’s time to meet the challenges with digital technologies, AI, and innovative workforce strategies.
Aging workforces and the resulting skilled labor shortages are the biggest challenge currently facing MROs. Over a third of commercial MRO workforces are approaching the average retirement age of 62 and 48% of defense organizations report a shortage in engineering skills. What has caused this issue?
One of the biggest causes is that for years, recruitment of new technicians has not matched demand often due to less appealing working models and more enticing alternative career opportunities for the younger generation. The global pandemic exacerbated this trend as companies worldwide furloughed employees, offered generous early retirement packages, and put a halt on recruiting. When many furloughed employees chose not to return, it further aggravated the existing challenge.
Replacement is not enough
Overcoming these challenges is not as simple as replacing retiring technicians with junior technicians. The speed and skill of experienced technicians can’t be replaced. Their knowledge and efficiency have been hard-won through hands-on experience in key areas such as troubleshooting and the navigation of reference material. This means that a typical new recruit does not replace the same level of production as a retiring technician. So, even if we could hire at the same rate as retirements, we can’t replace one-for-one without impact.
New opportunities – but at a cost
Demand for commercial air travel finally surged past the benchmark 2019 levels in 2024 resulting in new highs and continues to grow. MRO organizations in the commercial aviation sector have been forced to adapt to major OEMs unable to meet their own forecasts, let alone meet the full industry demand for new aircraft.
Boeing has faced a series of supply chain, production and regulatory challenges—driven by the consecutive 737-MAX MCAS tragedies and the 737-9 MAX door plug blowout. Many operators have looked to Airbus as an alternative, but Airbus faced its own supply chain issues with engines, aerostructures, and cabin parts, leaving airlines with few options.
To meet demand many commercial airlines have been forced to keep older aircraft flying, even reactivating retired aircraft; take Etihad Airways returning their Airbus A380s into service for example. By their very nature, older aircraft require more maintenance which puts additional pressure on the workforce. Bringing older parked aircraft back into operation also creates a surge in maintenance demand to get them airworthy. All this demand on a stretched workforce results in the kind of undesirable pressure the industry needs to avoid to prevent corners being cut and safety issues manifesting.
New platforms don’t mean clear skies ahead for MROs
The aviation industry is in the midst of a massive fleet renewal. An influx of new platforms is sweeping through both the commercial and defense sectors causing challenges for MROs geared toward the legacy platforms. In the commercial sector, the A320 neo (new engine option) engine has become the new leader, while the 737 MAX also introduces new engines as the CFM LEAP-1 and the Pratt&Whitney GTF begin to replace the old CFM 56 and V2500, long the dominant commercial engine types. In the defense sector, many military forces are turning to the more sophisticated F-35 fighter platform.
These new platforms require new maintenance capacity to be created while technicians need to be reskilled and re-certified to carry out maintenance on these new assets, which, when technicians are the constraint, means time away from maintaining the existing legacy platforms.
Next generation tools for next generation technicians
At the same time, MROs need to adapt to the expectations of a new generation of technicians. They must make the job cool with new tech like AI, AR, and VR, provide incentives beyond cash, increase promotion of aviation maintenance careers in untapped communities, and make it more inclusive for all.
Ultimately, MROs need to turn to digital technologies to automate the monotonous jobs and help technicians conduct their work. There are two distinct groups of digital technology solutions MROs can employ. AI-based solutions are well-suited to handling monotonous tasks such as data entry and parsing large volumes of text-heavy data, while technology solutions such as mobile devices, augmented reality, and e-paper labelling improve processes and increase the efficiency of maintainers.
New digital tools come to the fore for AvMRO
Here are five areas these solutions can help MRO organizations meet demand, reduce pressure on technicians, and maximize their efficiency:
- Mobile devices with aviation-specific language models increase technician hands-on metal time.
- Digitally enabled technicians know where and when they are needed, allowing them to stay agile and keep working without going back to the job card on the wall.
- Whether it’s taking tricky measurements or augmented reality calls, all-in-one mobile devices can do it all.
- Task Scheduling Optimization, Task Sequencing Optimization, and Technician Assignment optimization – AI is here to optimize maintenance for MROs.
- Finding procedures, pulling references, troubleshooting, automating failure and repair identification is now done with the help of AI Co-pilots.
The labor challenges facing commercial and defense MROs are not going away; read our latest white paper for more information.
