How to become an aircraft engine mechanic or repairer

Official title: Aircraft engine mechanic/repairer

Also called: Aeronautical mechanic, Aircraft engine fitter, Aircraft engine mechanic, Aircraft engine repairer, Hydraulic systems mechanic (aircraft), Service mechanic (aircraft engine), Trainee Technician, Ÿ Aeronautical mechanic, Ÿ Hydraulic systems mechanic (aircraft), Ÿ Aircraft engine fitter

Aircraft engine mechanic/repairer fits, services, repairs and overhauls aircraft engines and assemblies, such as airframes, hydraulic, and pneumatic systems.

Main tasks

• Fitting, examining, testing and servicing aircraft engines
• Replacing engine components or complete engines
• Examining and inspecting airframes and aircraft components, including landing gear, hydraulic systems and deicers to detect wear, cracks, breaks, leaks, or other problems
• Maintaining, repairing, overhauling, modifying and testing aircraft structural, mechanical and hydraulic systems
• Reading and interpreting manuals, service bulletins, and other specifications to determine the feasibility and method of repairing or replacing malfunctioning or damaged components
• Maintaining, repairing, and rebuilding aircraft structures, functional components, and parts such as wings and fuselage, rigging, hydraulic units, oxygen systems, fuel systems, electrical systems, gaskets and seals
• Inspecting completed work to certify that maintenance meets standards and the aircraft is ready for operation
• Maintaining repair logs, documenting all preventive and corrective aircraft maintenance

Ways in

• Apprenticeship: Work-study diploma. Related ITE work-study diplomas: Work-Study Diploma in Aircraft Engine Maintenance. You are employed by a company and study at ITE at the same time. Peernovo matched these from course names.
• Polytechnic or ITE: ITE course (Nitec or Higher Nitec). Related ITE courses: Higher Nitec in Aerospace Engineering; Higher Nitec in Mechanical Engineering. Peernovo matched these from course names; ITE does not publish which jobs each course leads to.; Polytechnic diploma. Related diplomas: Diploma in Aviation Management (Temasek Polytechnic); Diploma in Aerospace Engineering (Ngee Ann Polytechnic); Diploma in Mechanical Engineering (Ngee Ann Polytechnic). Peernovo matched these from course names; polytechnics do not publish which jobs each course leads to.
• Licence or registration: Engineers who certify maintenance on Singapore-registered aircraft must hold an aircraft maintenance licence from CAAS with the right aircraft type rating, and be authorised by an approved maintenance organisation. Law: Air Navigation Act 1966. Regulator: Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) (https://www.caas.gov.sg).

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

• Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.

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Questions people ask

How do I become an aircraft engine mechanic or repairer?

Ways in include: ITE course (Nitec or Higher Nitec); Polytechnic diploma; Work-study diploma.

Will AI change the work of an aircraft engine mechanic or repairer?

Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.

Sources

• International Labour Organization, Generative AI and Jobs: A Refined Global Index of Occupational Exposure (ILO Working Paper 140, Gmyrek et al.) (ILO Working Paper 140, May 2025, Annex Table A1), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 4 October 2026

Updated 4 October 2026