Global commercial aviation would have recovered faster and more effectively if more maintenance technicians had been available after many were furloughed or let go during the pandemic. The majority of aviation’s supply chain disruptions were driven by the loss of skilled workers who later decided to leave the industry for higher-paying and more attractive opportunities in other sectors.

The penny has dropped

As Boeing has clearly shown, decades of experience can’t be replaced overnight when they walk out the hangar door. For too long, aviation has neglected the challenge of attracting, training and developing the new talent needed to keep modern aircraft in the air.

Necessity is indeed the mother of invention, and on Thursday, American Airlines (American) stepped up to the plate by announcing a new partnership with Tulsa Tech to develop technician pathways from the classrooms to its hangars, particularly at its massive Tech Ops base in Tulsa.

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Thanks to the partnership between American Airlines and the educational institution, students will now have access to more than 3,000 new industry mentors. Tulsa Tech students will have direct access to American Tulsa-based aviation maintenance technicians (AMTs) at the airline’s maintenance base and on campus.

Photo: Lukas Wunderlich | Shutterstock

Perhaps the major incentive is that top-performing students will secure guaranteed interviews for open positions with American, which employs more than 5,000 people at the base, including 3,200 AMTs. The airline has invested $31.6 million in its engine shop and has an ongoing $350 million improvement project, added to with a $22 million grant from the State of Oklahoma to make enhancements at the Tulsa base.

Infographic: American Airlines

A pathway to success

These significant investments mean that American is adding more than 300 new jobs at Tech Ops – Tulsa, opening up more opportunities for students and adult workers to join the pathway to new careers. American’s Vice President of Base Maintenance Greg Emerson said the airline is excited to officially partner with Tulsa Tech to mentor and train future generations of aviation maintenance technicians.

“American’s Tech Ops – Tulsa maintenance base is the largest commercial aviation maintenance facility in the world and has been the backbone of our base maintenance since 1946. Having access to top local talent from Tulsa Tech ensures that work will continue for generations to come. We’re eager to provide a pathway from their Tulsa Tech classrooms to our hangars.”

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Students training at Tulsa Tech can work toward their Federal Aviation Administration Airframe and Powerplant licenses or choose from other aviation-related courses. Tulsa Tech is the oldest and largest technology center in Oklahoma’s CareerTech System and is dedicated to educating people from across the Tulsa region to find new careers and be ready for success in the workplace.

Photo: Eliyahu Yosef Parypa | Shutterstock

The partnership between American and Tulsa Tech is not new and nor is it the first time the two have worked together to inspire future AMTs. In 2011, American Airlines donated a McDonnell Douglas MD-80 aircraft to the school, which is still used to provide hands-on training opportunities. The Tech Ops AMTs have also mentored award-winning Tulsa Tech student teams in the annual Aerospace Maintenance Council Competition.

That practical generosity continued at yesterday’s event, with American donating several aircraft parts to bring realism to the student’s learning experiences. Those parts included an auxiliary power unit, four oxygen generators, a digital flight computer and a flow control valve.