Planes Can’t Fly Without Aircraft Mechanics — And We’re Running Out of Them with John Goglia
About this episode
John Goglia discusses the impending shortage of aircraft maintenance technicians and its implications for aviation safety.
Aircraft maintenance technicians keep every plane in the sky — and half are about to retire. John Goglia, former NTSB board member, on what's at stake for aviation safety. United Airlines alone has 14,000 mechanics. Within five years, roughly half will be eligible for retirement. That's 7,000 highly skilled aircraft maintenance technicians — gone. The pipeline to replace them is dangerously thin, and the average airline mechanic today is approaching 60 years old. The workforce shortage that began after 9/11 never fully recovered — and what happens next could push maintenance work out of the country entirely. John Goglia spent decades on the hangar floor before being appointed to the National Transportation Safety Board by the President of the United States and confirmed by the U.S. Senate. He's the founder of the Aerospace Maintenance Competition (AMC) — the largest hands-on competition for aviation maintenance students in the world — and president of PAMA, the Professional Aviation Maintenance Association. If you work with your hands, are considering aviation maintenance as a career, or lead a workforce in the trades, this conversation reveals what the most underrated skilled…
People in this episode
Host: Andrew Brown
Guest: John Goglia
Topics covered
- aviation maintenance
- workforce shortage
- skilled trades
- retirement
- aviation safety
- career opportunities
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: United Airlines, National Transportation Safety Board, Aerospace Maintenance Competition, Professional Aviation Maintenance Association
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- Aircraft Mechanics Are in Massive Demand—Why Aren't More People Entering the Industry? | Bret Oestreich, AMFA
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