More Hands for the Hangar: FAA Mechanic Certifications Rise 23.2% in 2025

The FAA certificated 23.2% more new mechanics in 2025 than the year before, the highest annual total the agency has recorded. For anyone who owns an airplane, that number matters more than most aviation statistics, because every annual, every squawk and every return-to-service entry in the logbook needs a certificated mechanic's signature. More newly qualified mechanics means more people who can sign off the work that keeps an aircraft legal to fly. Industry forecasts still expect demand for mechanics to exceed supply, so owners shouldn't count on easy scheduling at the shop just yet. A record year is still a solid step, and it's the part of the maintenance picture that is heading the right way.

With reporting from AVweb.