A newly published report by the Aviation Technician Education Council (ATEC) and Oliver Wyman reaffirmed a growing aviation mechanic shortage for 2025 despite comparatively high total certificate issuance.

According to the report’s findings, the FAA issued 9,013 new mechanic certificates in 2024—the second-highest total since records began in 1999—with the nation’s 208 FAA-certificated Aviation Maintenance Technician Schools (AMTS) producing about two-thirds of the new mechanics. AMTS enrollment rose 9.5% last year, and overall certification rates climbed to 63% as more schools embedded progressive FAA testing into the training cycle.

Even so, demand is accelerating. The North American commercial fleet is projected to grow about 13% over the next decade, and an aging in-service fleet plu

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