next 20 years, while a 2024 Pipeline Report forecasts a 20 percent shortfall by 2028 as baby boomers retire and younger workers remain largely unaware of career opportunities in aviation maintenance. Johnstown is responding with programs designed to feed this pipeline. In August 2024, St. Francis University (SFU) opened an aviation maintenance technician school (AMTS) at the airport.“That is a program where students can come out in 21 months with a certificate to be an aircraft mechanic, which is a great thing because we see projections that in the 2030s, the industry will be needing more than 25,000 mechanics,” Cree notes. The timing proves critical as current estimates show commercial aviation alone will be 31,000 mechanics short of its needs by 2031. The airport also has a growing flight training program in the Nulton Aviation Flight Academy, which is in the same hangar complex as SFU’s AMTS, creating a campus atmosphere for learning. “The Flight Academy has approximately 85 students that can earn their private pilot license and can continue to earn their instrument pilot, commercial pilot, and a multi engine rating. “ Cree says.. The strategy recognizes a fundamental challenge facing the industry. Many high school graduates remain unaware of aviation maintenance careers, often choosing more widely advertised paths in other sectors. By establishing visible training programs at the airport and creating clear pathways from education to employment, Johnstown aims to attract young talent to an industry desperate for skilled hands. INFRASTRUCTURE AND INNOVATION The year 2026 will test the airport’s capacity to manage multiple construction projects simultaneously while maintaining operations. Cree describes an ambitious schedule that includes crack sealing and seal coating the terminal apron, strengthening concrete stands to accommodate larger aircraft, and resealing runway 5-23 with new pavement markings. The airport will also install LED lights and signs on taxiways Alpha, Alpha 1, Bravo, and Bravo 1, modernizing the facility’s ground navigation infrastructure. 194 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 12, ISSUE 11
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