Meanwhile, many airlines are actively hiring for one particular behind-the-scenes job. Aviation Maintenance Technicians (AMTs) are in high demand throughout the United States and around the world.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics anticipates four percent growth for aircraft and avionics mechanics through 2032. Aviation training company CAE projects a need for 138,000 AMTs by 2033. While only two out of the five largest U.S. airlines are currently hiring pilots, all of them are hiring AMTs.

• READ MORE: AMT Day Offers Opportunity to Inspire Next Generation

AMTs play a critical role in the world of aviation and becoming one opens the door to a challenging and rewarding career. Here is what you need to know about being an Aviation Maintenance Technician:

What Is an AMT?

AMT is the term for a licensed aircraft mechanic in the United States. There are two ratings under the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) certification for AMTs: airframe and powerplant. Most jobs require applicants to have both, with the term “A&P” (airframe and powerplant) often being used interchangeably with AMT.

What Do They Do?

The role of an AMT is wide-ranging. AMTs can work on any type of aircraft, ranging from small general aviation planes to widebody jumbo jets. Similarly, AMTs can perform maintenance of all parts of an aircraft. An AMT’s work can consist of anything from making a small pre-departure repair to an airliner at an airport gate to working on an engine overhaul in a hangar.

As a result, there are diverse career prospects for AMTs. While many choose to work for airlines, there are also opportunities to work for other employers like business and charter companies, government bodies, and maintenance contractors.

How Much Do They Make? 

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median salary for aircraft mechanics in 2023 was $75,400. The median annual pay for those working at airlines was $101,500

How Do I Become One?

The FAA requires AMTs to meet a set of basic requirements before they can be licensed. Prospective AMTs must be at least 18 years of age and be fluent in English. In addition, they must meet either a training or experience requirement.

AMTs can meet the training requirement by graduating from an FAA-approved Aviation Maintenance Technician school or by completing the Joint Service Aviation Maintenance Technician Certification Council training course for military personnel.

Alternatively, they can demonstrate that they have had 18 months of practical work experience with airframes or powerplants or 30 months of experience with both systems.

After meeting these requirements, an AMT must pass three FAA exams (written, oral, and practical) before they can be licensed.

How Long Is AMT School?

Most AMT training programs are designed to be completed between 14 and 24 months. The exact length can depend on the program and student.

Students learn about a wide variety of topics to prepare them for their future careers. Upon completing AMT school, graduates can apply for the FAA AMT certification.

Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on AirlineGeeks.com.

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In a memo to conditionally hired pilots on Thursday, the airline said all new hire classes would be paused through the end of the year as it evaluates ‘commercial and talent needs.’

The Fort Worth-based carrier joins a growing list of major airlines pumping the brakes on recruitment after a record-setting period of pilot hiring. Both Delta and United have substantially scaled back their pilot hiring outlooks this year. Southwest stopped hiring new aviators altogether.

In an April briefing, American Arilines vice president of flight operations Russ Moore initially said the carrier would only pause hiring during peak summer and winter holiday months. Moore added that it plans to hire roughly 1,000 fewer new aviators this year.

“In fact, we hired and trained more pilots in 2023 than we have in the history of this airline, and we did it efficiently enough that we were actually a bit ahead of where we needed to be for the summer of 2024,” Moore said during the briefing. “This allowed us to transition from a ‘hire and train as many as you can’ approach to a more traditional approach, which in and of itself reduced our hiring targets for 2024.”

Among the reasons for the hiring slowdown are aircraft delivery delays at Boeing, Moore said. American is currently awaiting the delivery of 787-9 Dreamliner and 737 Max jets from the embattled manufacturer.

“As part of our previously announced capacity adjustments, we are temporarily pausing new pilot class start dates for September, October and November, American said in a statement Thursday night. “This decision allows us to optimize our capacity and tailor our talent growth plans to best serve the current needs of our airline.”

Last year, American hired around 2,300 pilots, according to data from FAPA. Even with the pause, Moore noted that up to 850 of the airline’s pilots retire annually over the next five years.

Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on AirlineGeeks.com.

The post American Becomes Latest Airline to Halt Pilot Hiring appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

AirlineGeeks is the 20th aviation-related brand that FLYING Media Group has purchased in the past two years in a strategy to expand the world’s leading aviation content platform and serve an audience that spans from light sport to space and vintage to frontier. 

“As a young boy, I fell in love with aviation while watching airliners take off and land near my house in Tennessee,” said Craig Fuller, CEO of FLYING Media Group (FMG). “I would make my parents drive me to Atlanta’s Hartsfield Airport (KATL) to watch the commercial aircraft and stood in awe as they seemed to defy the laws of gravity. I am an AvGeek myself and can’t wait to build on the AirlineGeeks brand.”

FMG has been very active in acquiring brands that service the general aviation industry. While commercial aviation and GA are often thought of as distinct and separate markets, they have become more interdependent in recent years. 

Commercial pilots often start their careers as GA pilots, and many of them retain their love for flying in small GA aircraft their entire lives. GA is also a test bed for new technologies and airframes that eventually make their way into commercial applications. With the emergence of air taxis and urban air mobility offerings that will blend commercial  with personal aviation, the two markets have never been more connected. 

FMG is not just focused on the enthusiast side of the market but plans to use AirlineGeeks (airlinegeeks.com) as a foundation to build a premier business-to-business data, news, and market intelligence platform for the commercial aviation industry. 

The global market size for the airline industry is more than $840 billion and is expected to grow by a compound annual rate of nearly 4 percent over the next decade.

“As people around the world become wealthier, they wish to travel,” said Fuller. “Commercial flight is unmatched in its ability to link the world and offer experiences that are only possible because of the efficiency of the global airline industry. Additionally, as supply chains continue to build resilience into their operations, global air cargo will experience exponential growth over the next few decades. This is what’s driving fast growth on an unprecedented scale.”

About FLYING Media Group

FLYING Media Group is the largest aviation media provider in the world, with content spanning 20 aviation-related brands, including FLYING, Plane & Pilot, KITPLANES, AVweb.com, AirlineGeeks, and Aircraft For Sale. 

With an audience of nearly 3 million monthly visitors and subscribers, the broad reach of the FMG platform is unmatched by any other aviation media source.

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