The New Maintenance Playbook: Skills, AI and Competency Take Centre Stage at APATS 2026

The APATS 2026 maintenance stream brings together experts from across industry and academia to examine the future of aircraft maintenance training. While the programme spans a wide range of topics, three sessions in particular capture the major themes shaping the sector: the rise of competency-based training, the growing role of flexible learning, and the practical adoption of artificial intelligence.

From compliance to competence

The conference opens with a clear signal that maintenance training is moving beyond regulatory compliance towards developing operational competence.

In Beyond Compliance: The Shift to Competency-Based Training, Joey Sweet, Senior Manager, Maintenance Training at Boeing Global Services, argues that training should do more than ensure technicians can follow procedures. It should build maintainers who are resilient to the pressures and threats that exist throughout the maintenance ecosystem.

Her presentation examines how Competency-Based Training and Assessment (CBTA) can strengthen not only technical capability, but also the confidence, judgement and behaviours that help prevent maintenance errors. Boeing's approach also recognises that instructors play a critical role, requiring new methods of assessment and coaching alongside updated courseware.

A second presentation, by Jayani Senanayake of SriLankan Aviation College, demonstrates how these principles translate into practical training.

Rather than relying heavily on classroom theory, students work with real aircraft components containing genuine defects, learning to inspect tyres, fan blades, windshields and windows using Aircraft Maintenance Manual limits before recording their findings. Tool competency is developed through practical exercises that teach technicians to recognise the appropriate tools and practices with the "feel" that only hands-on experience can provide.

Together, the presentations illustrate how CBTA is increasingly focusing on developing professional judgement alongside technical knowledge, preparing technicians to make safe decisions during the high-pressure aircraft turnarounds that characterise modern airline operations.

Extending the classroom

The last session of Day 1 tackles another major challenge facing airlines: how to train and retain technicians across geographically dispersed operations.

Beyond the Classroom: The Evolution of Remote Maintenance Training explores how online and hybrid delivery models are becoming an increasingly important part of workforce development.

David Cirulli, Head of Flight Operations Asia at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, draws on the university's extensive experience delivering maintenance education through classroom, online and hybrid formats. Rather than framing the debate as online versus face-to-face learning, Cirulli argues that training leaders should distinguish between the delivery modality and the quality of the instructional design itself.

His presentation considers how flexible learning can support technicians working shifts, improve career progression and reduce attrition without sacrificing technical rigour or regulatory compliance.

Glenn Ryan, CEO of training institute Aviation Australia, complements this with an industry perspective on how flexible training models can strengthen long-term workforce pipelines. As maintenance organisations compete for increasingly scarce technical talent, the ability to provide accessible, scalable education is becoming as important for retention as it is for recruitment.

The session reflects a broader industry shift towards viewing training not simply as an initial qualification, but as a continuous process supporting technicians throughout their careers.

AI with human oversight

Artificial intelligence opens the Day 2 maintenance programme, with speakers keen to separate practical implementation from technological hype.

The session AI in Maintenance Training: Hype, Opportunity, or Transformation? focuses on how AI can accelerate training development while preserving the human expertise and governance essential in regulated aviation environments.

Claudio Marturano of T-C-Alliance, a collaborative group of aviation training and consultancy organisations and subject matter experts, Venudhar Bhatt of MITR Media, a digital content and technology solutions company, and Taja Hillier, Chief Data & AI Officer at defence AI and data analytics specialist Mission Decisions, present a collaborative model that combines AI with aviation subject matter experts and professional learning design.

Their argument is that AI alone cannot produce high-quality aviation training content. Instead, AI should accelerate content development while human experts provide validation, operational relevance and regulatory assurance. The result, they suggest, is faster production of learner-ready material without compromising quality.

Emna Touihri, Co-Founder of aviation technology company AERAUT, examines AI from a maintenance operations perspective. Rather than replacing instructors or authorised engineers, her framework positions AI as a governed support tool that helps capture expert knowledge, supports competency development and improves consistency while maintaining the traceability, authority and safety culture required in aircraft maintenance.

The emphasis throughout is on controlled adoption: using AI to reduce learning friction and strengthen technician readiness while ensuring human oversight remains firmly in place.

Building the maintenance workforce of the future

Taken together, these sessions reflect how maintenance training is changing.

Competency is replacing simple compliance as the measure of training success. Learning is becoming increasingly flexible to support workforce retention and career progression. And AI is beginning to find a practical role, not as a replacement for instructors or engineering expertise, but as a tool to improve efficiency while maintaining the industry's uncompromising approach to safety.

As maintenance organisations face growing fleets, evolving technology and persistent workforce shortages, APATS 2026 suggests the future of maintenance training will depend as much on developing judgement, resilience and continuous learning as it does on teaching technical skills.

To explore the full APATS 2026 conference programme, click here. 

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