60% of Central Asian aircraft maintenance performed abroad – IATA

Source :: IATA

Up to 60% of civil aircraft maintenance volume for Central Asian airlines is performed abroad, Rizwan Siddiqui, IATA country manager for the region, said today, Dec.1, at the MRO Central Asia: Kazakhstan conference in Astana.

He noted that the region does possess large aviation maintenance, repair & overhaul centers—primarily Uzbekistan Airways Technics and the Air Astana facilities in Kazakhstan. However, demand for these services significantly exceeds supply as the region’s airlines’ fleet is rapidly expanding.

Rizwan Siddiqui also pointed out that local MRO providers face the shortage of skilled personnel for the growing volume of work. According to IATA, a similar problem is observed globally. As of 2019, the average age of maintenance specialists worldwide had reached 51 years.

For every four aircraft technicians retiring, only three young specialists are entering the profession. Overall, the global aircraft maintenance industry will require 610,000 technicians by 2030.