‘I want to help people fly – and keep them safe’

Pooja Umashankar has returned from Sri Lanka to study aircraft maintenance engineering at the University of South Wales. For years, airlines and engineering firms have struggled to hire maintenance engineers. There is now a global shortage numbering in the tens of thousands, and aviation is expected to balloon in coming decades. Around 700,000 engineers will have to enter the profession between now and 2040.

Trade association ADS says there are 10,000 vacancies in total across the UK#39;s aerospace, defence, security and space industries. Miss Umashankar has now started applying for full-time positions. Fewer than 10% of aerospace and aviation engineers are women in the UK. Only 2.

8% of US aircraft technicians are women, says Gail Rouscher, a former aircraft maintenance engineer. Several engineering firms declined to specify whether they were short of aviation technicians at present, or to what extent. ST Engineering has started a mentorship programme in Singapore and is in talks to set up a training academy in the US. Lufthansa Technik is working to attract more women into the industry.

AAR Corporation, however, says it has raised salaries and launched a programme to help US military veterans join the workforce. Last year, manufacturer Airbus set a target of hiring 13,000 new employees, many of whom were engineers. Most were destined to work on new aircraft designs rather than maintenance. It does become harder and harder to source talented professional engineers, acknowledges Mark Crompton, global head of employment marketing.

Airbus, like many firms, is increasing apprenticeship and internship positions to help. The number of such posts at Airbus climbed by 25% in 2023. But the industry as a whole is having to face up to the impact aviation is having on climate change. Even more engineers are needed to develop cleaner aircraft.

He is aware of the engineer shortage but says, #34;I don#39;t think safety is an issue at the moment. 34;“Keeping planes in the air, without incident, is a worthwhile endeavour for Miss Umashankar.