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The rapid expansion of Indian aviation is set against the backdrop of a critical shortage of qualified AMEs. Traditional training pathways, which typically span 2 to 4 years, are insufficient to meet the burgeoning demand. The industry’s survival hinges on the quality and availability of maintenance and service engineers, underscoring the need for an accelerated and effective training approach.Dhriti Prasanna Mahanta of Teamlease Degree Apprenticeship highlights the current industry situation and suggest various wayout to strengthen the upcoming demand of skilled manpower. India’s aviation sector is soaring as a bellwether of the nation’s economic rise. Fueled by a growing middle class with increasing disposable income, and rising travel demand, the industry is experiencing explosive growth. Passenger and cargo traffic are soaring, prompting airlines to expand routes and the government to invest in new and upgraded airports. This strategic investment translates to impressive economic multipliers, with each unit invested generating a significant 6.1x increase in employment opportunities and a remarkable 3.25x increase in overall economic output. Contributing a substantial 5% to India’s GDP and creating an estimated 4 million jobs, aviation has become a powerful economic engine. However, a storm cloud looms on the horizon: a crippling 17% skilled workforce deficit, projected to balloon to over 25% by year’s end, across key roles including pilots, air traffic controllers, engineers, and maintenance technicians, especially Aircraft Maintenance Engineers (AMEs). The projections indicate a requirement for at least 13,000-15,000 AMEs over the next decade. Leading flight operators in the country have collectively placed orders for approximately 1,200 aircraft, underscoring the escalating demand for skilled professionals to maintain and service these planes. However, the current recognition of the AME course by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) as a certificate course rather than a graduation degree poses a significant challenge. Despite their essential role in ensuring the safety and efficiency of aircraft, AMEs face limitations in career advancement due to the lack of formal degree recognition. An AME, in schools, is certified either in B1 (mechanical-based courses that focus on aircraft systems like airframes, engines, and landing gears) or B2 (avionic-based courses that focus on electrical and electronic equipment, instrumentation, navigation, and radio systems). Even after completing a four-year course, individuals must be trained under an AME before they are allowed to take the lead. According to industry estimates, the country has around 7,000 AMEs in various aircraft Maintenance Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facilities. However, a significant gap exists between the employability skills these schools provide and those demanded by the industry. Unless addressed, this talent drought could significantly impede India’s aviation ambitions. It is imperative for all stakeholders to collaborate in bridging this gap and ensuring the continued efficient operation of this vital sector. Degree apprenticeships can play a crucial role in aligning educational outcomes with industry requirements, providing a practical solution to this pressing issue. Leveraging Degree Apprenticeships to Meet Industry Demands Degree apprenticeships offer a promising solution to the skilled workforce deficit in India’s aviation sector, particularly for roles like Aircraft Maintenance Engineers (AMEs). By combining practical, on-the-job training with formal academic learning, degree apprenticeships enable AMEs to “learn while earning,” gaining both hands-on experience and a recognized degree. This model not only addresses the immediate need for skilled professionals but also fosters career advancement, integrates industry-relevant curriculum, reduces recruitment costs, bridges theory and practice, ensures quality assurance, provides industry networking opportunities, and promotes continuous skill enhancement, ensuring comprehensive development aligned with global standards and industry needs. For example, a degree apprenticeship program could allow AMEs to work at aviation companies while pursuing a degree in aerospace engineering or a related field. Companies benefit by investing in training future professionals tailored to their specific needs, potentially reducing recruitment costs and ensuring a steady pipeline of skilled workers. Moreover, integrating a credit-based framework would enable AMEs to leverage their existing qualifications towards a degree, enhancing their career prospects and meeting industry standards effectively. In addition to degree apprenticeships, aligning training programs with the National Skills Qualifications Framework (NSQF) could further enhance skill development in the aviation sector. The NSQF provides a standardized framework for competency-based education and training, ensuring that qualifications are recognized nationally and internationally. By adopting NSQF-aligned curricula and certifications, AME colleges can improve the employability of graduates and meet the evolving demands of the aviation industry. Enhancing Infrastructure and Industry Collaboration Enhancing infrastructure and updating training facilities are crucial steps to bridge the gap between theoretical learning and practical skills. Industry leaders like IndiGo and Air India are investing in advanced training academies and infrastructure development in India. These initiatives aim to modernize training methodologies, provide state-of-the-art facilities, and offer specialized programs that meet international standards. By integrating a credit-based framework, AMEs can enhance their academic credentials and gain a comprehensive skill set required for career advancement. Implementing qualification modularity allows AMEs to build their education flexibly and step-by-step, aligning with their career goals and industry needs. Additionally, major aircraft manufacturers such as Boeing and Airbus are injecting billions of dollars into the development of aviation infrastructure in India, which includes setting up advanced training facilities and partnering with educational institutions to offer specialized programs. These investments aim to modernize training methodologies and build a robust talent pipeline. By investing in on-the-job training (OJT) and work-integrated learning programs, these companies can ensure that students gain practical experience under the guidance of industry experts, bridging the gap between academic knowledge and real-world application. This proactive approach enhances the employability of graduates and strengthens the overall competitiveness of India’s aviation industry on a global scale. Advocating for Policy Changes Advocating for policy changes is crucial to elevating the status of the AME program. This will ensure that AMEs receive a more holistic education that combines hands-on experience with in-depth theoretical knowledge, facilitates career progression for AMEs, and provides a steady supply of highly skilled professionals to meet the growing demands of India’s burgeoning aviation sector. Given these developments, the intervention of the DGCA has become even more essential. As the

Competitive challenges today push aircraft makers to ‘force’ technology on already reliable and dependent aircraft and that today is leading to lower reliability. The proven dependable and unbreakable 737NG didn’t need to be replaced with the 737MAX, and for practical logic, if the 737NG needed a step up, it should have been the Boeing 757. The logic of “If it ain’t broke don’t fix it” no longer seems to exist in aircraft and engine making, and the theory of New Design Platform is convoluted to the point of reaching dumbed down mans plaining. Mark D Martin of Martin Consulting shares his views on this vantage and critical topic affecting commercial aviation today for Aviation World readers. Famed Indian Spiritualist Shri Chinmoy once said, “Do not blame the world. Find a Solution.” In aviation, the first step to finding a solution is admitting to the problem and Pratt & Whitney (PW) needs to get its act together with taking responsibility for its flawed PW1000G, 1100G and 1524G Geared Turbo Fan (“PW-GTF”), repeal or withdraw the product from the market; or replace it with an improved option, or even better, a whole new clean sheet design engine. Air Tanzania, Air Senegal, Turkish Airlines, IndiGo, Air Asia, Air India, Batik Air, Spirit Airlines, Lufthansa, Jet Blue, Swiss Air, Air Baltic all join with reporting severe design flaws and poor metal quality with the PW-GTF engine and we’re reached a spot today that Airbus itself has made it clear that it would not be accepting anymore Pratt & Whitney Geared TurboFan Engines till PW comes up with a permanent solution. Flawed Design with Engines Today The problems with the PW-GTF engines are real, catastrophic, compromise safety; and near to fatal triggering full-blown emergency landings, teeth rattling vibration, corrosion, separation of fan blades during flight and premature removal of an engine for maintenance at one fourth of PW’s own defined removal time, in addition to metal shavings showing up in the engine oil, cracked metal casings and fractured metal alloys. So much so that the FAA and EASA in order to avert a major mishap or calamitous incident approved the use of mixed engines (something never done ever before in commercial aviation) while banning ETOPS flights (Flights over water that are more than 180 mins). The Indian DGCA in 2019 went a step ahead by grounding Pratt & Whitney GTF Engines in operations with all airlines under its purview. One of its strangest anomalies noted with the PW-GTF (that I am sure a lot of you may have experienced) is a loud, shrill, sharp howling noise that shows up either when the aircraft is taxing to the runway to take off, or noted during landing. What resembles a reported ‘whale-song’ like sound morphs itself into an ear drum shattering loud noise measuring a staggering 12dB just short of landing. For Airlines in India, it has been rough. IndiGo reported nearly five in-flight engine failures during the most critical flight phase, Climb, while shut down and insolvent GoAir reported several compressor stalls collocated with very high vibration, corrosion and engine damage. The PW-GTF problem has been so severe that even the Indian DGCA in 2019 ordered all the affected PW-GTF engines to be replaced, with a rigid deadline. Pratt & Whitney Needs to Discontinue the PW-GTF Immediately It’s time we defined this issue correctly. This isn’t a Lawyer-PR coined “Supply Chain” issue. Supply chain issues occur when a product is superbly reliable, robust, functional and in extreme high demand. PW-GTF issues at the moment plague a Lufthansa, indigo, Swiss Air and Air Baltic as much as it does a Go Air and its high time Pratt & Whitney got mature enough to take a firm step with discontinuing the PW-GTF Series engine for good and airlines in turn switch to another engine option, even if it’s the competition – the CFM iLeap Engine. And to be fair, PW in the past has designed and made some of the finest and most reliable engines such as the PT6A Series, PT6T and PW4084 series that continue to operate and fly to this day without a hitch, glitch or anomaly. In the past I have sworn too on the PW engine’s dependability and reliability. During a time when I supported French Plane Maker Socata (now Daher) in the early 1990s, the iconic single engine TBM-700 and the newer 930 series aircraft rode on the unparalleled reliability of the PT6A Series; an engine so dependable that it actually help convince regulators the world over to approve single turboprop aircraft for passenger transport and charters. For me, the PT6A series did (I must admit) build the strongest impression of how unbreakable Pratt’s engines were. Maybe this was because both the PT6A and PT6T were designed in the 70’s when American design technology peaked and nothing could come even close to it. Not anymore. Witnessing PW’s current attitude with the PW-GTF not just destroys PW’s own credibility with its loyal customer base (including my trust in PW), it does also indicate the engine maker’s surreptitious and sneaky effort to shirk off all its responsibility with resolving the problem. Very unlike the PW we saw in the 80’s, 90’s and early 2000’s. While PW has said that its new updated GTF Advantage version of the A320neo’s PW1100G should address all the previously reported problems with its engine, it would take airlines a long time to rebuild that trust with PW engine, and I don’t think any airline worth its salt would be willing to take such a fool hardy decision by going back to PW. The ‘Boeingfication’ of the world Aircraft Industry Back until the early 90’s, airlines and travelers had a choice of flying the most suited aircraft for its region, route and service category. Types of aircraft were diverse too; we had small, medium, large, regional, short haul, long haul and transcontinental aircraft that offered improved revenue dynamics with the most suited capability deployment. Around the cusp of the 90’s,