There is a reason why there is a shortage of airline maintenance personnel… Switched to semiconductors

Semiconductor company ‘Super Eul’ recruits aircraft mechanic certified by ASML
Common features that deal with microprocessing… ‘Cost-effective’ talent
Mechanic’s popularity declines… Concerns over decline in aviation maintenance scale and quality
“Need to improve treatment and foster industry”

It was found that aircraft mechanics are moving to the semiconductor equipment industry for better treatment. As some aviation-related technologies are applied to the semiconductor process, maintenance personnel are receiving attention. The lack of maintenance personnel is being pointed out as one of the causes of the Jeju Air plane disaster in Muan, and even that is said to be continuing to be lost due to the craze for artificial intelligence (AI)-based semiconductors.

According to the industry on the 6th, some maintenance workers from domestic low-cost carriers (LCCs) have recently transferred to ASML, a Dutch semiconductor equipment manufacturer. An airline official confessed, “Three or four mechanics with 3 to 5 years of experience changed jobs one after another. The salaries were doubled and the working environment was better, so there was no way to stop the change.”

ASML is considered a ‘super company’ in the semiconductor industry that manufactures extreme ultraviolet (EUV) exposure equipment in the world. The reason ASML attracts aviation maintenance personnel is because its maintenance logic is similar to the semiconductor process. An official from the semiconductor equipment industry explained, “The piping of fluids such as gas in the equipment is similar to that of an aircraft, and aircraft mechanics are accustomed to handling microprocesses, so it is classified as ‘immediate sense of power.'”

The main target is line mechanics with 3 to 5 years of experience. This is because experience and technology are balanced and there is a lot of room for improvement in treatment, so there is a good understanding of each other.

There is already a significant gap in treatment between the aviation maintenance and semiconductor equipment industries. According to the Ministry of Employment and Labor’s Worknet, the annual salary of the top 25% of aviation mechanics is 51.9 million won (2021). As of 2023, ASML Korea’s starting salary for college graduates was around 65 million won. It is known that if the worker is put on shift work starting from the second year, it will be worth more than 100 million won. A mechanic working for an LCC airline, who requested anonymity, confessed, “The semiconductor industry has better physical working environments, salaries, and work-life balance. If I get the chance, I would like to move to a semiconductor equipment company rather than a large airline.”

The number of aircraft maintenance personnel is gradually decreasing. While the defection to semiconductor equipment companies is accelerating, the inflow of new workers is actually decreasing. According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the number of domestic aviation mechanic certificates issued fell by less than half from 1,683 in 2021 to 778 in 2023. Compared to 1,266 times in 2019 before COVID-19, it decreased by 38.6%.

This also affects the maintenance of low-cost carriers (LCCs) such as Jeju Air. Most LCCs did not properly meet the standard of 12 maintenance personnel per unit recommended by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport’s Aviation Information Portal System, as of 2023, the average number of mechanics per aircraft at five LCC companies, including Jeju Air, Jin Air, Air Busan, Eastar Jet, and T’way Air, is 10.94. From 2016 to 2023, only Jeju Air and Eastar Jet satisfied the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport’s recommended standards for at least one year. However, recommendations that are not mandatory are not subject to sanctions by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.

In the related industry, there is an argument that if it is difficult for individual airlines to expand maintenance personnel, the aircraft maintenance and repair (MRO) industry should be fostered at the government level. The proportion of LCCs that outsource heavy maintenance, such as engine repair, to foreign countries has already reached 71.1% (as of 2023).

An aviation industry official said, “Because competition in the industry is fierce and everyone is focused on reducing costs, the government must specify manpower regulations for aviation mechanics and carefully manage and supervise them.” He added, “There is a ‘competition to improve treatment’ by fostering the MRO industry and providing quality jobs.” “We have to encourage it to happen,” he explained.

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