In Case You Missed It: Testing Bottlenecks Continue to Hinder Mechanic Workforce Growth

Aviation maintenance technician schools continue to sound the alarm: limited FAA testing capacity is slowing the certification of new mechanics, creating a bottleneck in the technician pipeline at a time of critical industry need.

A recent Aviation Week article highlights the ongoing strain, pointing to a nationwide shortage of designated mechanic examiners (DMEs) and persistent challenges for schools seeking approval to administer exams or establish new written testing sites.

For the oral and practical portion of the exam, fewer than 254 DMEs are available nationwide—leaving many graduates facing weeks- or even months-long delays, sometimes requiring travel across state lines to secure an appointment.

The written exam poses its own access issues. A&P schools report continued difficulty working with the FAA’s testing contractor, PSI Services, to establish new test locations or modify existing ones. An Inside MRO analysis compared FAA test center locations with ATEC’s directory of certified schools and found notable geographic gaps in access.

ATEC continues to work with the FAA to identify solutions, including greater geographic flexibility, expansion of Organization Designation Authorization (ODA) for airman certification testing, and broader institutional testing privileges. Still, educators stress that quick action is needed to ensure testing infrastructure can support surging workforce demand.

Read the full article in Aviation Week: Schools Say FAA Testing Hurdles Are Stifling MRO Workforce Growth