Engineering Shortage

Australian airlines are struggling to cope with an engineering shortage that is reaching breaking point. Nowhere is the effect being felt more strongly than in regional areas, where aviation businesses struggled to stay afloat through the difficulties of the pandemic.

The engineering shortage crisis in the Australian aviation industry has gotten so bad some aren’t sure whether to laugh or cry. “People tell me about pilot shortages, and I laugh. Pilot shortages aren’t going to be a problem, because we’ll run out of engineers before we run out of pilots,” says Steven Campbell. Campbell is the head of the Regional Aviation Association of Australia, the former advisor to the Prime Minister for aviation policy, and a trained commercial pilot. Campbell knows the mood of the industry well, and according to him it is in dire straits, saying that he has seen some operators advertising for engineers for “over a year and not even getting anyone applying.”

Australia’s engineering crisis is set to get worse before it gets better due to a lack of educational opportunities, enticements and industry engagement. While the signs of the current labour shortage were apparent prior to Covid, the extreme effect of the pandemic on the aviation industry accelerated and exacerbated the issue due to mass redundancies, border closures and the pressure on an aging workforce. Proposed solutions include prioritising the migration of skilled engineers and simplifying education pathways. However, there are concerns that international labour shortages and fierce industry competition will result in the strategy being ineffective.