American Partners with Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics for Next Generation of Aircraft Maintenance

Call it a natural fit for two of Pittsburgh’s most important aviation resources.

American Airlines and Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics (PIA) announced a new partnership last month to help prepare the next generation of aviation maintenance technicians and create a direct pathway to employment for qualified graduates.

American Airlines Senior Vice President of Technical Operations Kevin Brickner and Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics President and CEO Suzanne Markle signed a memorandum of understanding in July at the school in front of more than 100 students, staff, dignitaries and media. As part of the agreement, American will provide students in PIA’s Aviation Maintenance Technology program exposure to aviation maintenance careers through engagement opportunities with American’s maintenance professionals, including hands-on tours of the airline’s maintenance facilities.

Additionally, top-performing students will receive guaranteed interviews for available positions with American upon graduation and receipt of their FAA Airframe and Powerplant certification, making it easier for students to launch careers maintaining one of the world’s largest aircraft fleets.

Officials said the agreement is a natural fit for the school based at Allegheny County Airport just 10 miles from Downtown Pittsburgh. Recognized as one of the nation’s best by several publications, and American, which operates a large maintenance base at Pittsburgh International Airport with more than 700 employees.

Brickner said American employs approximately 17,000 people in its tech operations globally and that partnerships like this with PIA are essential in building the future of aviation maintenance.

“As our employees reach retirement age, we need to have a strong pipeline of new talent into our company, so it’s really important for us to partner with aviation schools to find the best of the best students and to ensure as they are ready to make their way into the aviation business that they come to American Airlines. It gives us that strong pipeline of talent for the future,” Brickner said.

“PIA has a strong reputation for preparing students for successful careers in aircraft maintenance, and we have many PIA graduates on our team today.”

American’s maintenance base serves its fleet of Airbus A320 family aircraft, which stretches back to the early 1960s when Allegheny Airlines brought an aircraft repair shop to the airport, later becoming US Airways, according to the Pittsburgh Business Times. US Airways merged with American in 2015.

“The Pittsburgh maintenance base has always been a critically important part of our network,” Brickner said. “In the last couple of years, we’ve really invested in bringing more work into Pittsburgh. That’s really because the Pittsburgh base has always performed. They are one of our strongest – if not our strongest – maintenance base producing aircraft on time with high quality (and) a lot of efficiency.

“They are a really good base for us and the result of that is we want more work here – so we’ve done that. We’ve doubled the workforce in the last couple years here and we look to keep growing here in the future and having this pipeline of talent is going to be a part of that.”

The partnership formalizes an existing relationship with the school, which includes American’s sponsorship of the school’s Pittsburgh team at the 2026 Aerospace Maintenance Council Competition.

“We’re so proud to be part of the next generation of aviation and a partnership like this with a major airline for our students just strengthens their opportunities as they approach graduation,” Markle said. “It’s wonderful news for us but also we’re not surprised because we pride ourselves in being a very rigorous program based on not just meeting the FAA standards for what aviation maintenance and electronic technicians should know but to take the extra step with our students to instill the discipline, the work ethic, the attendance and the attitudes that meet with a successful career.”

Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato applauded the agreement.

“Allegheny County is proud to support this partnership between American Airlines and the Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics,” Innamorato said. “This partnership will create opportunities for local residents to pursue highly skilled, good-paying careers in aviation maintenance while helping build the next generation of talent for a key employer in our county. This partnership strengthens the pipeline to great jobs, supports our regional economy and ensures Allegheny County remains a place where both workers and businesses can thrive.”

Students in attendance also were excited about the agreement, which they said helps to provide a pathway for a great, good-paying career.

Student Trevor Kessler, of Midway, Pa., said he knew the agreement was going to be big news.

“There’s been so many opportunities built in-house here and through people I’ve met here and I can only see myself getting more and more opportunities as I pursue through school,” Kessler, 21, said. “Opportunities like this and partnerships like this will definitely grow such an amazing connection with the school and a very, very good employer.”