AEI and AMFA issue a joint call to the industry at the 54th Annual AEI Congress in Nashville
[PRESSWIRE] NASHVILLE, Tennessee — October 30, 2026 — At the close of the 54th Annual Congress of Aircraft Engineers International (AEI), hosted by the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association (AMFA), the two organizations issued a joint message to airlines and aviation companies worldwide:
if you cannot fully utilise your fleets, do not complain about lost revenue. Make the profession of aircraft maintenance engineers and technicians (AMEs/AMTs) more attractive.
Passengers expect to fly on time when they buy a ticket. Yet many aviation companies struggle to keep their fleets fully operational. Every aircraft must be maintained by qualified AMEs/AMTs so that passengers and crew can depart and arrive safely.
Companies that fail to invest in the skilled aviation professionals who maintain their fleets are also failing the passengers who depend on them. Insufficient staffing and a lack of planning for future maintenance needs lead to delays, cancellations and, ultimately, a loss of passenger confidence.
A reliable aviation company must make the profession of AMEs/AMTs more attractive. AEI and AMFA call on the industry to deliver:
- Better labour agreements that reflect the responsibility the profession carries
- Improved working conditions in hangars, on the line and on night shifts
- Paid training for new entrants and for continuing qualification
- Competitive salaries that reward licensed skill and experience
- Clear career prospects that give engineers and technicians reason to stay
This is ultimately about professional respect: recognising the responsibility for flight safety, valuing experience, and respecting the technical judgement of AMEs/AMTs. The engineer and Technician who releases an aircraft to service carries personal and legal accountability for that decision. That judgement must never be overridden by schedule pressure.
If aviation companies truly want their fleets ready to serve passengers on time, they must understand that recruiting new AMEs/AMTs is only part of the answer. Retaining experienced skilled professionals is equally important. Experience cannot be hired overnight, and every senior engineer/technician who leaves the profession takes years of knowledge out of the line and hangar.
“Aircraft do not earn revenue sitting on the ground, and they do not leave the ground without a qualified engineer’s/technician’s signature,” said Bret Oestreich, National President of AMFA. “Airlines that want to be called reliable must invest in the frontline employees who make reliability and safety possible. That means respect at the bargaining table, competitive pay, work/life balance, legitimate training and a career worth staying in.”
“We are also seeing pressure from some industry stakeholders to water down safety regulations in order to make it easier to get new entrants to enter the aircraft maintenance and engineering industry. This is a risky way of addressing the challenges we are facing, and it could jeopardise the high level of aviation safety that has been achieved in aviation over many, many years,” said Ola Blomqvist, President of Aircraft Engineers International.
If you want your airline to be qualified as “reliable”, and if you want your aircraft to earn revenue, invest in the AMEs/AMTs who keep them flying by performing the maintenance needed to keep them safe.
The 54th Annual AEI Congress was held October 28–30, 2026, in Nashville, Tennessee, with AMFA serving as host affiliate. The Congress brought together licensed AMEs/AMTs from AEI member associations around the world. Distinguished guests included The Honorable John DeLeeuw, Member of the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board, and Craig Johnson, Director of Investigation, Air, Transportation Safety Board of Canada.
Aircraft Engineers International is a neutral, non-profit consortium formed to support and represent licensed AMEs/AMTs globally. Founded in 1972, AEI advocates for the role of the licensed aircraft maintenance engineer in aviation safety. Learn more at. https://aircraftengineersinternational.org
The Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association is the only labor organization in North America that constitutionally limits itself to representing licensed AMEs/AMTs and directly related skilled professionals. AMFA represents more than 6,800 members at carriers and employers in the United States and Canada. Learn more at. https://www.amfanational.org
Contacts
AEI: Ola Blomqvist. ola.blomqvist@airengineers.org
AMFA: Cameron Lampley. Camlampley@gmail.com