Aircraft Maintenance Engineering

The Aircraft Maintenance Engineer plays a vital role in the aviation industry to ensure that aircraft are maintained to the highest standard and laid down by the DGCA, in order to ensure safe and correct functioning during flight.
Aircraft Maintenance is the overhaul, repair, inspection or modification of an aircraft or aircraft component.
The aviation and airline industry in India is expected to continue to grow rapidly, and the number of modern aircraft flying in India are expected to increase. India is expected to emerge as the third largest aviation market in the next few year. As a direct result, the need for more AME's will continue to be felt even more strongly, as airline and other aircraft operation will require skilled and licensed engineers to maintain and service aircraft.

Aviation Industry

In recent year, the aviation industry in India has witnessed rapid expansion and growth. As many as seven major Indian airline and several smaller airline with a fleet of over 666 aircraft carry nearly 100 million passengers annually on scheduled services. Apart form this there are as many as 500 private aircraft operating as non-scheduled and charter service in India.

The AME play a vital role in the aviation industry to ensure that, aircrafts are maintenance to the highest standards and as laid down by the DGCA. In the course of their duties AME `s are responsible for servicing and maintenance of the aircraft which include repairs, replacements, overhaul and inspection of the aircraft, aircraft components and other related items of equipment.

Aircraft Maintenance Engineering  

Course Details – Career Guidance

  • Aircraft Maintenance Engineering Course is actually associated with the maintenance and repair of aircrafts.
  • Candidates interested in pursuing Aircraft Maintenance Course are required to have a lot of passion and skills.
  • Aircraft Maintenance Engineers mainly deals with the maintenance of aircrafts. They repair, troubleshoot issues, conduct inspections and make upgrades to aircrafts.
  • An aircraft takes off only after being approved by an Aircraft Maintenance Engineer (AME).
  • It’s the AME who check the aircraft properly and sign the Flight Releasing Certificate (FRC). Only after this flight can take off.
  • Future of Aircraft Maintenance Engineering and its scope is very good currently in India and other parts of the world. Main reason behind this is the growing number of aircraft passengers at a very frequent rate.
  • The golden era has been started. So all those who have desire of making career in aviation, Aircraft Maintenance Engineering Course Details has been given here below:

Aircraft Maintenance Engineering Course Eligibility:-
  • Aircraft Maintenance Engineering is a very unique engineering program as compared to the traditional engineering like B Tech or BE.
  • The candidates who keeps desires of being an Aircraft Maintenance Engineers should fulfill the following eligibility criteria:
  •  Candidate must passed 10+2 with PCM (non-medical stream).
  • Candidates pursued/persuading diploma in Mechanical, Electrical ,Aeronautical & Electronic stream can also apply.
  • Candidate age should be of minimum 18 years at the time of taking admission.
  •  Candidates must not have color blindness or any physical disabilities.
  •  Candidate should have the Medical fitness Certificate issued by Registered Medical Practitioner
Aircraft Maintenance Engineering Course Streams:-

Categories of AME License under CAR 66

  • Mechanical (A & B1)
    • Aeroplane & Power Plant (A1, A2, B1.1 & B1.2)
    • Helicopter & Power Plant (A3, A4, B1.3 & B1.4)
  • Avionics (B2)
  • Piston Engine Maximum Take Off Mass 2000kg (B3)


The Aircraft Maintenance Engineer Licence is issued in the following categories:-
  • Category A
  • Category B1
  • Category B2                           
  • Category B3                     
  • Category C
 Category A :-
The Category A licence is a mechanical based licence and permits the holder to issue certificates of release to service after minor scheduled line maintenance and simple defect rectification within the limits of maintenance tasks specifically endorsed on the authorisation issued by a maintenance organisation approved under rule 133B for the broad category of aircraft endorsed on the licence and the certification privileges should be restricted to the work carried out by the licence holder himself in the maintenance organization that issues the authorisation.
The A licence is sub-divided into sub-categories as below:
  • A1 Aeroplanes Turbine
  • A2 Aeroplanes Piston
  • A3 Helicopters Turbine
  • A4 Helicopters Piston

 Note: Category A license is not a Type rated AME license

Category B1:-
Category B1 licence is a mechanical based licence and permits the holder to issue certificates for release to service and act as support staff following the maintenance performed on aircraft structure, power plant, mechanical and electrical systems, work on avionics system requiring simple tests to prove their serviceability and not requiring trouble shooting, in respect of an aircraft type endorsed on the licence
The B1 licence is sub-divided into sub-categories as below:
  • B1.1 Aeroplanes Turbine-Engines
  • B1.2 Aeroplanes Piston-Engines
  • B1.3 Helicopters Turbine-Engines
  • B1.4 Helicopters Piston-Engines
Note: Category B1 includes the appropriate sub-category of Category A.
Category B2:-
The B2 licence is avionic based and permits the holder to issue :-
(a) certificates of release to service after maintenance on avionic and electrical systems, avionics and electrical system within engine and mechanical systems requiring only simple tests to prove their serviceability of aircraft type endorsed on the licence.
(b) certificates of release to service after minor scheduled line maintenance and simple defect rectification within the limits of tasks specifically endorsed on the certification authorisation issued by an approved maintenance organisation of aircraft type endorsed on the licence and this certification privilege shall be restricted to work that the licence holder has personally performed in the maintenance organisation which issued the certification authorisation and limited to the rating already endorsed on the licence.
The B2 licence broadly covers the following areas:
  • Instrument Systems
  • Automatic Pilot Systems (fixed and rotary wing), including Auto-throttle and Auto-land Systems
  • Radio Communication, Navigation and Radar Systems
  • Electrical Power Generation and Distribution to Avionic Systems
Category B3:-
Category B3 is applicable to piston-engine non-pressurised aeroplanes of 2000 kg Maximum Take-off Mass (MTOM) and below.
Category B3 licence permits the holders to issue certificates of release to service after maintenance on aeroplane structure, engine and mechanical and electrical systems, work on avionic systems requiring only simple tests to prove their serviceability and not requiring troubleshooting of ‘piston-engine non-pressurised aeroplanes of 2000 kg Maximum Take-off Mass and below’.
Note―Simple test means a test described in approved maintenance data and such in nature that aircraft system serviceability is verified through aircraft controls, switches, Builtin Test Equipment (BITE), Central Maintenance Computer (CMC) or external test equipment not requiring special training.
Category C:-
The Category C licence permits the release of an aircraft to service in its entirety (including all systems) by a single certificate of release to service by one overall signatory, once all base maintenance work and checks have been completed. The principal function of the category C certifying staff is to ensure that all required maintenance has been called up and signed off by the category B1, B2 and B3 support staff, as appropriate, before issue of the certificate of release to service. Only category C personnel who also hold category B1, B2 or B3 qualifications may perform both roles in base maintenance.

Aircraft Maintenance Engineering Course Duration:-

Program Name: Aircraft Maintenance Engineering 

Duration: 2 Year


Aircraft Maintenance Engineering Scope:-
  1. Currently, Indian Aviation Sector is growing very rapidly for sure. That’s ofcourse a great news for all those who desire to make career in aviation.
  2. Air traffic in India is booming year by year, lifting up the requirements of aircrafts. Because of this, many companies like Air India, Indigo, vistra,goair etc.
  3. Airways and etc have ordered new aircrafts, boosting up Aircraft Maintenance Engineering Scope.

    Airlines 
    1. Airlines are the company which provide air transport for the passengers to travel.
    2. Before aircrafts of these companies fly, it’s the duty of the Aircraft Maintenance Engineer to 
      analyses and solve the problems of Aircraft as so many lives are involved.
    3. After releasing Flight Releasing Certificate (FRC) only, an aircraft can fly.
    Aircraft Manufacturing Companies

    • Aircraft Manufacturing Companies deals in the manufacturing of aircrafts like Airbus, Boeing and etc. So, for the maintaining and operating engines, electronic systems etc, Aircraft Maintenance Engineers are hired.
    Aircraft Part Manufacturing Companies

    • Aircraft is made up of numerous parts. For the manufacturing of those parts, there exists      Aircraft Part Manufacturing Companies.
    • Aircraft Maintenance Engineers analyze all those parts and help them to build up the better one.

    Maintenance, Repair and Overhauls (MRO) industries

    • MRO companies are actually the companies which specialize in performing maintenance actions on aircraft and their respective components like landing gears, jet engines and etc. To maintain these actions, licensed Aircraft Maintenance Engineers are required.

    Aircraft Operation Organizations

    • ICAO, EASA and etc are the Aircraft Operation Organization. These organization mainly deals with the safety and security of the civil aviation.
    • And when its about safety of aircraft, ‘Aircraft Maintenance Engineer’ is obviously the first term that comes in mind.

    Flying Clubs

    • A flying club is actually an organization that provides its members with affordable access to the aircraft.
    • This aircraft require maintenance that is done by the Aircraft Maintenance Engineers.

      Aviation Training Centres

      • These are centers or institute you can say where Aircraft Maintenance Engineers tell other candidates about the Aircraft Maintenance Engineering and its scope.

        Civil Defense Forces


        • Aircrafts are used on very large extent by the defence for several purposes to protect the country.
        • These Defenceb planes are also maintained by the licensed Aircraft Maintenance Engineers.

          And at any place where an aircraft is used in Civil

          • At any place, wherever aircrafts are used, they require to be maintained by authorized Aircraft Maintenance Engineer.
            Aircraft Maintenance Engineering Salary
            • In AME Course, as mentioned above, a practical training is held in the flying environment.
            • At time when candidate undergo through the training.
            • Further, after the training of 2 years and clearing the modules, the AME license get issued to the candidate from DGCA, Govt. of India.
            • Usually the salary package of the AME candidate get higher after achieving the AME license.
            • Aircraft Maintenance Engineering jobs salary. AME are highly paid professional. At the time of training candidate will get stipend which is around INR 15000 to 25000 per month. After getting license Aircraft Maintenance Engineering jobs salary according to the payscale is approx INR 40 lakhs per annum.
            • Indian aviation sector facing skill shortage in Pilots and AMEs. India is growing in aviation sector so requirement of AME is at its peak.
            • Indian MRO Industry On Verge Of Expanding….Excellent Growth Rate for Aircraft Maintenance Engineering. This leads to new height to the AME career.
            • India is growing in aviation so fast. Air traffic growth is around 28% which builds golden era to build career as AME.
            • Two Indian airports have been ranked in World’s top 10 fastest growing airports. The air traffic has being increase in India so much which is raising like in AME jobs.
            • The UDAN scheme is giving boost to AME career. UDAN Scheme makes airfare affordable for common people to travel through. The drastic increase in domestic passenger can be seen which result in rise in AME career.