Hawaiian Airlines Fights Technician Shortage With New Program

In a continuation of their preexisting partnership, Hawaiian Airlines and Honolulu Community College (HCC) are launching a new program aimed at providing financial assistance and mentorship opportunities to the upcoming generation of aviation maintenance professionals.

The Maintenance Technician Development Program (MTDP) is an extension for students enrolled in the HCC’s existing Aeronautics Maintenance Technology (AERO) program. Enrollees in AERO who are accepted into the MTDP initiative will receive a $10,500 stipend to help cover educational expenses. Accepted students will also receive mentorship from current Hawaiian Airlines mechanics throughout the program along with a contingent job offer upon graduation.

AERO students at HCC expressed optimism for the program, saying the added funds will allow them to invest more time solely into their education.

“I work two jobs and go to school at the same time, so it’ll be really helpful, just so I don’t have to worry much about working the other jobs and focus more on school,” said HCC student Neil Patrick Nuevo in a news release. 

This new initiative is the latest in a recent string of announcements from U.S. educational institutions at every level—high school, community college, and university—designed to create easier pathways into an aviation workforce that is presently facing shortages. Much has been made about the low staffing levels at air traffic control (ATC) facilities across the country. A number of institutions have partnered with the FAA to offer ATC curriculums at their campuses similar to the one at the FAA Academy in Oklahoma City. 

In the news release announcing the launch of the MTDP, Hawaiian Airlines heavily cited a June report by Canadian technology company CAE that forecast the civil aviation workforce will need 416,000 additional aircraft maintenance technicians over the next 10 years. 

To address the need for aircraft maintenance professionals, the MTDP represents Hawaiian Airlines’ second program launch in as many months in order to bolster career interest in the field. In August, the airline, in partnership with the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum, kicked off a two-year, no-cost training initiative for high school juniors on the Hawaiian island of Oahu to obtain their FAA Airframe and Powerplant (A&P) license.

The MTPD is the second program launched in collaboration between Hawaiian Airlines and HCC. In 2016, the two institutions announced the Aircraft Mechanic Apprenticeship Program (AMAP), that allows students to gain experience by taking classes in the airline’s maintenance hangar. 

“Through this partnership with Hawaiian Airlines, we are providing our students with an unparalleled pathway to a rewarding career, ensuring our graduates are not only highly trained but also have a direct route to becoming the next generation of aviation professionals serving our local communities and beyond,” said HCC chancellor Karen C. Lee.