Industry Insights

U.S. Airlines Celebrate Aviation Maintenance Technicians Every Day

May 24, 2024

May 24 marks Aviation Maintenance Technician (AMT) Day, and A4A is highlighting the essential and valued roles mechanics fill daily to make every aspect of aviation work smoothly and safely. AMTs, also known as mechanics, are integral to maintaining safe operations every single day.

AMT Day is on May 24 each year because it was the birthday of the late Charles E. Taylor,  who was an engine builder and served as mechanic to the Wright brothers. Taylor built the first aircraft engine used in the Wright Flyer.

When you book a flight or board a plane, you may not envision the mechanics behind the scenes most of the time, but our planes would not fly without them! Safety is always the top priority of AMTs and U.S. airlines.

AMTs are responsible for maintaining and repairing aircraft. Duties range from conducting scheduled inspections to troubleshooting, repair and general maintenance of these increasingly high-tech, complicated machines. AMTs are in high demand and must complete highly specialized training and obtain FAA certification to ensure they possess the knowledge and skill to keep airplanes safely flying.

As part of our effort to support AMTs, A4A organizes the Nondestructive Testing (NDT) Forum, which is targeted in part to technicians interested in learning more about the current trends, issues and successes in aviation maintenance inspection. This year’s event will be September 16-19 at the Marriott Nashville at Vanderbilt University.

We are currently accepting abstracts from mechanics and other fields to share the latest successes and learnings in the field. Confirmed presenters at this year’s forum can receive a complimentary registration.

With their partner professionals, AMTs assure that U.S. airlines work to provide the safest mode of transportation in the world, transporting more than 2.6 million passengers and 61,000 tons of cargo to worldwide destinations every day.

To learn more about how to become an FAA-certificated AMT, click here for general information, testing and other requirements necessary  pursue this career path.