Aircraft Maintenance Engineering - Careers, Salary, Jobs, Scope

Brief Summary

Why Aircraft Maintenance Engineering?

Aircraft Maintenance Engineering is a field of work where one is responsible for the day-to-day maintenance and smooth functioning of the airplanes. It is different from aerospace engineering. Aerospace engineering is more concerned with the designing aspect of aircraft, while AME focuses on maintaining the air worthiness of an aircraft according to international aviation standards.

Aircraft Maintenance Engineering  is a 3- year long with 4 papers for the entire license. The candidate is taught the specifications of aircraft design, structure and engineering, and the ways to keep it functioning smoothly. The course average fee cost is around 2 Lacs.

Top colleges offering Aircraft Maintenance Engineering are as follows:

• Indian Institute of Aircraft Engineering, Delhi
• Rajiv Gandhi Aviation Academy, Secunderabad
• Hyderabad (AP) Institute of Aircraft Maintenance Engineering, Secunderabad
• Bangalore Hindustan Aviation Academy, Bangalore
• Centre for Civil Aviation Training, Delhi
• Hindustan Institute of Engineering Technology, Chennai
• Aeronautical Training Institute, Lucknow

People holding complete AME licenses work in private and government airline companies, and their jobs are mostly outdoor and the job more often than not consist of hands-on work.

AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE Courses

Jobs and Career Opportunities

People who have studied aircraft maintenance engineering can readily find jobs in maintenance and testing wings of aircraft manufacturing companies. They can also work in maintenance firms and airports. Positions that can be held after studying aircraft maintenance engineering are as follows:

• Aircraft Maintenance Engineers: Aircraft maintenance engineers work under the direct supervision and guidance of Aeronautical engineers for the maintenance of aircraft frame, engine, electrical systems and other ancillary fittings. Anyone with a full AME license can work as an aircraft maintenance engineer. Aircraft manufacture companies and airports generally hire for this position.
• Line maintenance mechanics: They are primarily hired at airports. Line maintenance mechanics can work on all parts of the aircraft. At airports they make necessary emergency and other required repairs. Guided by flight engineers, they carry out complete inspection of the aircraft prior to take off.
• Overhaul mechanics: Overhaul mechanics are in charge of carrying out routine maintenance after the required number of flying hours has been completed. They check for lon term damages and maintenance issues in airplanes. They are mainly hired in domestic and international airports.
• Aircraft airframe mechanics: They are in charge of overhauling the airframe of the airplane. They are employed by airports.
• Aircraft power plant mechanics: Aircraft power plant mechanics specialise in the maintenance of the aircraft’s engine and are hired at airports.

AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE ENGINEERING: Salary

The average salary of an aircraft maintenance engineer is Rs. 7, 74,000. A fresh graduate who is just entering the field will be offered a starting salary which, on average, is Rs. 2, 60, 000 per annum.

Highly experienced individuals in the industry can be paid as high has Rs. 23, 71, 000 per annum. An entry-level Aircraft Maintenance Engineer (AME) with less than 5 years of experience can expect to earn an average total compensation of Rs 6, 16,000.

An Aircraft Maintenance Engineer with mid-career experience which includes employees with 5 to 10 years of experience can expect to earn an average total compensation of Rs 9, 15,000.

AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE ENGINEERING: Recruiters

The major recruiters for aircraft maintenance engineers are aircraft manufacturing companies, maintenance firms and airports. The major recruiters are listed below:

• Hindustan Aeronatics Ltd. (HAL)
• Air India
• Union Public Service Commission (UPSC)
• Defence Research And Development Organisation (DRDO)
• Bharat Heavy Electrical Ltd. (BHEL)
• Indian Air Force (IAF)
• Indian Coast Guard
• BOEING
• Airports
• Private aviation companies

Specialisations

During the course of a 3-year AME degree, one can choose a specialisation of either Mechanical or Avionics in their third year. These two specialisations branch out in terms of the specific subjects one studies, and hence the nature of jobs becomes a little different for both the streams; however, the pay scale is similar.

AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE ENGINEERING: Syllabus

The following subjects and topics are covered during the course on aircraft maintenance engineering:

Reputed institutes also offer a 6- month on job training on fully operational aircrafts, to give experience to the people graduating from the course.

 Popular Colleges offering AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE ENGINEERING

Requirements for AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE ENGINEERING

UG Eligibility Criteria

For admission to UG courses in Aircraft Maintenance, the candidate must have passed Class 12^th with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics as compulsory subjects. Candidates who have completed diploma in Engineering/ Technology or higher education in science with Physics and Mathematics are also eligible to apply.

There is no centralised entrance exam for this course. Different institutes conduct their own entrance exams. The candidate should take care to take admission only in a college approved by the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). The license that the candidate obtains after graduation must be issued by DGCA for getting jobs in the future.

Why should you choose AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE ENGINEERING?

Choosing aircraft maintenance engineering as a career is a good option in the present time. The reason being  the boom in the aviation sector, not only in India, but all over the world. More and more aircrafts are bought and new air routes and corridors are added by airline companies with each passing year. For example, Indigo has recently signed a deal to buy at least 250 planes in the coming years; this is an apt representation of the boom in the aviation industry that is rampant in today’s time.

Needless to say, an increase in aircrafts and number of flights will automatically lead to an increase in demand for various maintenance- related jobs, including those of aircraft maintenance engineers. Since numerous international airline companies also operate within India, the scope for working with an overseas aviation company is also bright. Therefore scope will only increase as more foreign companies set up base in India.

FAQ’s

Q1: How can I take admission in this course?                                 

Ans. The candidate will have to check admission procedures on the websites of the institutes they are interested in.

Q2: What is the eligibility for this course?

Ans. The candidate must have passed Class 12^th with Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics as mandatory subjects.

Q3: What are the job roles I can perform once I graduate in this course?

• Aircraft Maintenance Engineers
• Line maintenance mechanics
• Overhaul mechanics
• Aircraft airframe mechanics
• Aircraft power plant mechanics

Q4: What is the salary I can expect after graduating with this degree?

Ans. The starting salary will be around Rs. 2 lakhs, which can increase to 5 lakhs as the candidate gains experience of up to 5 years.

Q5: Is this course offered in the distance mode?

Ans. Currently, there are no reputed/approved institutes in India which offer this course in the distance mode.