The founder and CEO of Jets MRO, Suresh Narayanan, has addressed the issue of mechanic turnover as a primary cause of work delays and late deliveries in business jet maintenance. Contrary to popular belief, Narayanan claims that the shortage of mechanics is not to blame.
Narayanan's experience as an operator of business aircraft led him to investigate why aircraft were consistently delayed and over budget after maintenance. He discovered that high turnover rates among mechanics were a significant factor. "When I was an aircraft operator, we dug into why our aircraft were coming out of maintenance so late and over budget," he said. "We found out it was not due to the mechanic shortage, but an industry issue with retaining mechanics within these maintenance businesses."
To combat this problem, Narayanan focused on understanding why mechanics leave their jobs. Surveys revealed that key factors influencing turnover included leadership engagement, company culture, benefits, and work schedules.