The “2024 Aircraft Maintenance Skills Contest,” organized by the Japan Aeronautical Engineers’ Association and sponsored by Japan Airlines (JAL) and All Nippon Airways (ANA), was held on November 15th at ANA Blue Base.
The aim of this contest is for active aviation maintenance personnel and students to form teams and compete in the skills they have acquired through their daily work or studies. It seeks to improve technical skills comprehensively, advocate the appeal of maintenance work to society, and aim for an expansion of the field’s base.
The competition consists of five events that are basic operations for aircraft mechanics, extracted from the content of the national qualification examination: “Electrical Measurement,” “Mechanical Measurement,” “Fastening,” “Rivet Removal,” and “Panel Installation & Removal.” Each team is made up of three members, with “Panel Installation & Removal” as a group event for the entire team, and the remaining four as individual events.
Teams from JAL Engineering (2 teams) and Japan Transocean Air (JTA) of the JAL group, e.TEAM ANA (2 teams), Peach Aviation of the ANA group, East Japan Academy of Aviation, Japan Aviation Academy Hokkaido (2 teams), International Academy of Aviation (2 teams), Central Japan Aviation Academy, Osaka Aviation Academy, and First Institute of Technology, making a total of 14 teams from 6 professional schools and universities participated in the contest.
Using training equipment that simulates aircraft parts, participants’ technical skills in their regular work are judged. All events have a set time limit, and speed, as well as accuracy of the work, are criteria for evaluation.
“For removing rivets,” the precision and speed of removing parts without damaging them were judged, with any damage to the parts rendering them out of the evaluation.
The event saw participation from maintenance company teams limited to employees in their first or second year to minimize the experience gap between them and the teams from professional schools/universities.
The overall winner was awarded to e.TEAM ANA②, with remarks highlighting the rarity of interaction between company employees and students, emphasizing the importance of such opportunities for supporting the aviation industry.
The International Academy of Aviation① won the fighting spirit award, with comments about striving for improvement in technology in the future.
Yosuke Yoshida, the Executive Director of the Japan Aeronautical Engineers’ Association, regards the contest as an opportunity for students to feel they are on the same basic level as professionals who are just in their first or second year, fostering a sense of equality between participants. The event aims to increase participation and address scheduling conflicts that may cause teams to withdraw, which remains a challenge for future events.
Representatives from JAL Engineering and ANA’s Business Promotion Department also expressed their views on the contest, emphasizing it as an opportunity for students to experience and feel closer to professional work, and the necessity for the aviation maintenance industry to tackle recruitment and training collaboratively.
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