Aviation Maintenance Management

Maintenance is an important aspect of aviation because it has a direct impact on the top priority of the aviation industry, safety. As a result, aviation maintenance management becomes essential, especially for airline operations to run smoothly and in complete compliance with the regulations established by authorities like the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) or European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).

Of course, manufacturers, airlines, and maintenance service providers will require proper knowledge and training to be demonstrated for any professional applying for any aviation maintenance management job, from aircraft maintenance technician to aviation maintenance manager.

Therefore, if you are interested in landing a job in aviation maintenance management to improve your career options in the aviation industry, we invite you to keep reading as we disclose the details of aviation maintenance management.

Aviation Safety

Aviation maintenance management is essential for the safety of aviation operations, so it is time to see the effect aviation maintenance has on safety.

First of all, we need to remember that safety in aviation refers to the technical, human, and organizational aspects, among others, that have an effect on aircraft and flights, as well as the efforts made to guarantee the effects do not result in injury or loss. Clearly, maintenance falls into the technical and human categories.

Also, incidents and accidents in aviation are associated with different aspects that may cause them, and among those, there are human factors. Therefore, a failure of aviation maintenance can be found as one of the causes of an incident or an accident during a safety investigation, making it clear that proper maintenance can make the difference between safe operation and injuries or even a human or property loss.

Learn more about the impact of human factors in maintenance in our Human Factor Topics in Safety Investigations course, a course covering topics on human factors any safety investigator should consider to understand what went wrong on the human side.

Aviation Maintenance Management Program

Aviation maintenance management is a great career path into the aviation industry, more specifically into the aviation maintenance field. Therefore, aviation professionals or maintenance professionals wanting to launch their careers in this field would want to find the best aviation maintenance management program for them.

Of course, with maintenance being so critical for the industry, there is a wide variety of programs to choose from. We understand that finding the best choice can be time-consuming and complex, so we will do our best to help you.

First, the most important thing is to have your goals clear. For instance, if you only want to work directly with aircraft systems and aircraft structures as an aviation maintenance technician you will not need the same program accreditation you may need if you want to be in the aircraft maintenance management business.

Obviously, to maintain and repair aircraft systems you will need to develop more technical skills. However, management skills are also essential for managerial positions in the aviation maintenance industry, including maintenance management.

Also, it is important to highlight that regulators such as the Federal Aviation Administration, and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) require specific certifications for the personnel that work in aircraft maintenance programs at a Maintenance Repair Organization (MRO), including maintenance technicians and aviation engineers.

So, depending on whether you need to comply with EASA or FAA regulations you may need one certification or another. For example, if you want to be an aviation engineer working in the field, you may want to get a degree with certification. But, if you already have your degree, and you just want to learn how to get certified under EASA regulations, a program like our How to Become a Licensed Part-66 Engineer course could be a good fit. In this course, you will learn about the role of the aircraft maintenance engineer, what the EASA Part-66 license is and how it is used in an EASA Part-145 Maintenance Repair Organization (MRO).

In short, there are different degree levels, and choosing one or the other depends on the different objectives and different approaches different professionals may have, which takes us to the next point.

Aviation Maintenance Management Degree

Aviation maintenance management students usually obtain either an aviation maintenance management associate degree or a bachelor of science degree.

While a bachelor’s degree is usually very comprehensive, it is also the longest aviation maintenance management degree. In addition, a bachelor of science degree tends to be more expensive, so if you are on a budget, you may want to look for an alternative.

Nevertheless, if you have decided to get a bachelor’s degree, we want to share what you should look for and expect from it.

What should you look for and expect from a bachelor’s degree?

First of all, you should look for a program that offers a certification approved by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), or the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). This way you will be achieving two things, you will ensure you will be ready for work after completion, and you will be verifying that the program is reliable enough.

Now, given the fact that these are accredited programs, they may also be regulated. So, you may expect some of them with courses required to be taken on their premises and not online, so flexibility may not be unlimited.

On the knowledge side, expect to learn about topics like:

• FAA airframe and powerplant regulations
• Human factors and safety
• Electrical systems
• Turbine engines maintenance and repair
• Quality assurance
• Automated technology
• Avionics line maintenance
• Avionics installation and troubleshooting
• Aircraft materials and tooling standards
• Aircraft environmental and fire protection systems
• Aircraft fuel management and metering systems

Of course, there may be more courses required to complete the program and obtain your degree, and since it is an aviation management degree, you can expect to have courses such as:

• Financial Accounting
• Managerial Accounting
• Business law
• Business ethics
• Supervisory management
• Technical writing

Keep in mind this is not a comprehensive list, but one to provide a quick overview. Another thing to expect is high-level academic requirements for admission. General education requirements usually include some mathematics and physics, among other things. Yet, you may expect the following requirements too:

• A minimum grade in each area of study required
• Minimum credit hours
• Proof of language proficiency if applicable
• Official school transcripts

What can you do with an aviation maintenance degree?

Although we are speaking of an aviation management degree, the career paths are numerous thanks to the knowledge and skills you will obtain. And they include careers across the aerospace industry.

Also, some alternative industries may be willing to receive graduates with this degree, including but not limited to:

• Renewable energies
• Theme parks
• Motorsports

In any case, the most common roles found in the job market include:

• Aircraft maintenance technician
• A&P mechanic
• Aircraft electrician
• Flight test mechanic
• Avionics technician
• Aircraft instrument mechanic
• Jet engine mechanic
• Air Traffic Controller (ATC)
• Missionary pilot
• Airline management
• Airport manager
• FAA inspector
• Licensed Part-66 engineer

Keep in mind that different organizations will require different certifications too. For example, working with airframe and powerplant systems may require a specific airframe and powerplant certification. Also, remember, if you want to work for an organization in the European Union, you may want to learn How to Become a Licensed Part-66 Engineer.

Is aviation maintenance a good job?

Yes, this is a good job for someone wanting to launch a career in the industry and work for hands on with aircraft maintenance and repair. Also, it will attract any professional interested in applying leadership, communication, and managerial skills. This is a combination of challenges, but also a very rewarding career considering that it plays a critical role in the safety of passengers, pilots, crew members, and all people involved in aviation operations.

Now, more specifically, the median salary for professionals in the area sits at $58,000, with some roles even reaching almost $100,000 like the case of some Supply Chain Directors. What’s more, landing a job should not be very difficult with 157,152 job postings published last year. Add the fact that there is a wide variety of careers for these professionals, and it is easy to understand it is a good option.

Aviation Maintenance Management Resume

At this point, you may have it clear that general education offers a great way to start your career in aviation maintenance management. However, if you really want to have a successful career, continuing education and labor relations must be a priority.

In summary, not only will technical skills and knowledge open doors for you in the aviation industry, but also communication and managerial skills. Remember that human factors are key to safety in any industry, and this is not different in aviation. Therefore, being able to understand the role and impact of the people involved in managing maintenance and safety is also essential.

With the above in mind, we could not conclude without inviting you again to check our Human Factor Topics in Safety Investigations course. You can also check the rest of our catalog as we are sure you will find something of your interest that will help you achieve your goals.