Aviation MRO Sector Faces Acute Talent Shortage as Global Spending Heads Toward $193 Billion by 2030

Global MRO spending is projected to rise from $136 billion to nearly $193 billion by 2030 as a worsening technician shortage leaves North America alone short of roughly 17,000 aircraft mechanics.

Original report
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Industry impact

Rising maintenance demand is colliding with a shrinking technician workforce, turning hangar staffing into a capacity constraint that shapes aircraft availability as much as parts supply does.

What happened

Global MRO spending is projected to climb from $136 billion to nearly $193 billion by 2030, driven by aging fleets flying five to seven years longer than originally planned, deferred maintenance, and a 40% increase in C/D check demand since Q1 2026. Engine MRO backlogs have reached record levels, with more than 648 aircraft powered by next-generation GTF engines — including the A320neo, A220, and E-Jets E2 — grounded awaiting maintenance in 2025. Industry estimates place engine shop backlog-related losses at around $11 billion, overall MRO shortage costs at more than $27 billion annually, and the Aeronautical Repair Station Association pegs workforce-related losses at approximately $14 billion per year. Maintenance hours are forecast to grow from 310 million per year to 565 million per year.

North America alone faces a shortage of approximately 17,000 aircraft mechanics, a figure that could reach 30,000 by 2028. An estimated 83% of current technicians are expected to retire within ten years, around 700,000 engineers will be needed globally by 2040, and Boeing projects a worldwide need for 716,000 new technicians over the next 20 years.

Facility expansions are generating large-scale hiring. FL Technics' new hangar in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, attracted more than 3,500 job applicants against plans to hire 300 people initially and up to 2,000 over several years. Safran's hub in Querétaro, Mexico, is set to create more than 450 new jobs and test up to 350 engines yearly by 2030. Lufthansa Technik has broken ground on a 55,000-square-metre facility in Santa Maria da Feira, near Porto, Portugal, expected to create around 700 skilled MRO jobs when operations begin in 2028. [Frontier Airlines](/entities/4fb6f79ae9bd5ebe969134bc1fcfac9c) partnered with Aims Community College to launch an FAA Part-147 aircraft maintenance technician programme offering a $25,000 signing bonus for eligible graduates, [Iberia](/entities/1164d356cfda5cb9bcb68b9b87f77683) launched a recruitment drive for EASA Part-66 B1/B2 certifying staff to support its Flight Plan 2030 targeting a long-haul fleet of 70 aircraft centred on the Madrid-Barajas hub, and [Etihad Airways](/entities/0f7894c2662d5a1e91f833b97fb60589) has expanded hiring for licensed aircraft engineers with seven to ten years of experience.

Who this affects

• Maintenance Repair and Overhaul (MRO) — Workforce shortfalls, not hangar space, now set the ceiling on how much heavy-check and engine work these providers can take on.
• Line Maintenance Services — AOG response and station coverage face the same technician shortfall squeezing heavy maintenance, even without a direct backlog of their own.
• Business Charter Operators — Operators flying GTF-powered aircraft face longer shop turnaround and reduced aircraft availability as engine backlogs persist.
• Pilot Training Organizations (PTO) — Airlines offering signing bonuses and dedicated certification pipelines point to expanding demand for pilot and technician training capacity.